Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis does not rule out running for governor

Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis said he is not ruling out running for governor in 2026 after an organization circulated a petition asking the veteran law enforcement official and former state lawmaker to join the race.

In a phone call with the Herald on Saturday, the Holden Republican said Massachusetts is “on the wrong track right now” and that there needs to be change within the State House executive office. But he warned that he has not yet decided on a possible candidacy for governor.

“At 63 years old, I am at a point where I have to decide what I would like to do with the rest of my life. Is four years on Beacon Hill something I want to do with my life? said. “That’s precisely what I’m thinking about right now, as anyone would in life.”

Evangelidis has emerged among Republican circles as a potential candidate to take on Gov. Maura Healey. in case he decides to run for a second term. A group called “Citizens for Lew” is trying to speed up the process. seeking signatures for a petition asking Evangelidis to run.

In an email sent Tuesday, Citizens for Lew director James Nell said Massachusetts needs a governor who “fights for the values ​​we care about: fiscal responsibility, public safety, individual liberties, and parental rights in education.”

Nell said Healey has “dragged” Massachusetts even further into progressive politics.

“Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is the leader our state desperately needs. With his proven track record of supporting law enforcement, overcoming bureaucratic inefficiency, and standing firm on conservative principles, Lew is the right choice to return balance, accountability, and common sense to Beacon Hill,” the email said, according to a copy. obtained by the Herald.

The email said “Citizens for Lew” is not affiliated with Evangelidis or the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, but is an independent group “committed to advocating for strong and principled conservative leadership in our state.”

Nell did not immediately respond to an emailed inquiry from the Herald.

Evangelidis told the Herald that he “had nothing to do with the group” but acknowledged that he had been floated as a possible candidate for governor next year.

“I know there are some names out there, mine too. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I certainly think what people are seeing now makes them think we’re going down the wrong path. I hear that from a lot of people, including a lot of Democrats,” Evangelidis said.

The Worcester County sheriff said he is considering whether he can “make a difference” and whether the job of governor fits “where I am in my life right now.” He also said he wants to see how the field of Republican candidates develops in the coming months.

But he made clear that he does not believe Massachusetts is in a “good place right now” and has been “very explicit” about the dangers posed by “open borders” and state law on the right to housinga decades-old statute that has come under fire for the past year and a half.

“We’ve had an increase in illegal activity around here and I think it’s a horrible situation that shouldn’t have happened and I feel like we need to get out of this. And I don’t know if Governor Healey has the ability to do it,” he said. “I think we’re going to have to look at who’s going to be the next governor to fix things because this problem is not going to go away.”

Evangelidis had more than $192,000 in his campaign account, according to campaign finance records last updated on Jan. 3. In the past three months, it has raised more than $45,000 and spent more than $11,700, state data shows.

Evangelidis won re-election in November to another six-year term as Worcester County sheriff, besting Democratic challenger David Fontaine with nearly 59% of the vote, according to election data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Evangelidis raised $36,603 in November, including $1,000 from Mike Kennealy, a former secretary to Gov. Charlie Baker who has said he is “seriously considering” running for governor in 2026 as a Republican.

At a Massachusetts Republican Party State Committee meeting on Saturday, Kennealy did not offer a timeline for when he would make a decision on a gubernatorial run after the Herald first reported his thinking..

“I am seriously considering it. “That’s all I have to say today,” he said.

Originally Posted: January 11, 2025 at 3:20 pm EST