GOP race takes shape for lt. gov.
A race among Republican candidates for lieutenant governor is taking shape for next year’s election, even with filing deadlines still months away.
Rayla Cambell is the first Republican to officially throw her hat in the ring for the office, filing for candidacy last Thursday. An official launch party planned for Thursday at MIXX360 in Malden.
Campbell, a Black woman and avowed Trump supporter, caused waves last year on the campaign trail in a failed challenge to U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
“I am not going to back down and I’m not going to be intimidated,” Campbell, of Randolph, said in a recent interview, noting increased oversight, family values and the economy would be central to her campaign.
Ronald Beaty of West Barnstable confirmed he also intends to run, though he has yet to file any official paperwork. The Republican recently served as a Barnstable County commissioner for four years but lost reelection in 2020.
It’s still an open question of whether Republican incumbents Gov. Charlie Baker and his Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will seek a third term.
“The governor and the lieutenant governor remain entirely focused on the pandemic response and not on electoral politics,” campaign spokesman Jim Conroy told the Herald on Monday.
Baker has let his campaign finance account dwindle to $584,276 while Polito now has more than $2 million in her war chest, according to state reports.
Should the governor seek reelection, he could face a Republican challenger in Lowell’s Darius Mitchell, who on March 15 filed paperwork to create a candidate committee.
“I’m exploring at this point but I think Massachusetts Republican politics needs some new energy, some diversity,” the Lowell resident told the Herald, saying expanding public transportation — particularly in gateway cities outside of Boston — would be a focal point of his campaign.
The self-described “HipHop Republican” distanced himself from both “Trump Republicans” and “Baker Republicans” saying his brand of politics would “bring a voice” to those who feel alienated by the party.
Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who in 2018 challenged Sen. Elizabeth Warren, is also rumored to run for governor.
On the Democrat side, no one has yet expressed interest in the office of lieutenant governor. A growing field of candidates for governor includes former state Sen. Ben Downing and potentially Harvard University political science professor Danielle Allen and Quincy’s Scott Khourie. Attorney General Maura Healey is also rumored to be considering a bid.