Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis said he is not ruling out a run for governor in 2026 after an organization circulated a petition calling on the longtime law enforcement official and former state lawmaker to jump into the race.

In a phone call with the Herald Saturday, the Holden Republican said Massachusetts is “on the wrong track right now” and there needs to be a change inside the executive office at the State House. But he cautioned that he has not made up his mind on a potential gubernatorial bid.

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

Evangelidis has been floated among Republican circles as a potential candidate to take on Gov. Maura Healey should she decide to run for a second term. A group dubbed “Citizens for Lew” is trying to accelerate the process by seeking signatures to a petition asking Evangelidis to run.

In an email sent Tuesday, “Citizens for Lew” Director James Nell said Massachusetts needs a governor who will “fight for the values that matter to us: fiscal responsibility, public safety, individual freedoms, and parental rights in education.”

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

“Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is the leader our state desperately needs. With his proven track record of supporting law enforcement, cutting through bureaucratic inefficiency, and standing firm on conservative principles, Lew is the right choice to bring balance, accountability, and common sense back 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, principled conservative leadership in our state.”

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

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

“I know there’s a few names out there, mine also. I haven’t made up my mind yet but I certainly think what people are seeing right now makes them think we’re on the wrong track. 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 if the job of governor fits “into where I am in my life right now.” He also said he wants to see how the field of Republican candidates develops over the next few months.

But he made clear that he does not think Massachusetts is in a “good place right” and he has been “very vocal” about the dangers imposed by “open borders” and the state’s right-to-shelter law, a decades-old statute that has come under fire over the past year and a half.

“We’ve had a surge in illegal activity happening around here and I just think it’s a horrible situation that should not have happened and I feel like we need to get out of this. And I don’t know if Gov. Healey has it in her to do it,” he said. “I think we might have to look for who’s going to be the next governor to straighten things out because this problem isn’t going away.”

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

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

Evangelidis brought in $36,603 in November, including $1,000 from Mike Kennealy, a former secretary under 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 Saturday, Kennealy did not offer a timeline for when he would make a decision about a gubernatorial bid after the Herald first reported his thinking.

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