WEST BOYLSTON, Mass. - A petition is calling for Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis to run for governor and said the state needs a strong conservative and effective leader in the office. 

The sheriff said he didn't know about the petition until this weekend. 

The 63-year-old republican said he's flattered and has also heard from democrats encouraging him to run. 

Evangelidis admits it's something he's considered but it's all about timing and opportunity. 

He said right now, the state doesn't seem to be on a good path.

"I think a lot of people think I didn't vote for, you know, for the migrant crisis that we have right now” said Evangelidis. You know, it doesn't seem fair to put a welcome mat out for people all around the world to come here to Massachusetts. And I don't blame the people coming here if they're law-abiding citizens. I blame the policymakers for creating an environment where we have tens of thousands of people here costing the taxpayers $3 million a day, and now we're seeing public safety concerns that have come with this massive influx. I think it's a bad policy. I think it needs to change. And I don't think the administration's dealing with it properly. So, a lot of people are concerned about this, as I am."

Evangelidis was reelected to a third six-year term in 2022.

He also served four terms in the state House of Representatives. 

Democrat Maura Healey has not announced whether she plans to run for reelection...

She won almost 64-percent of the vote in 2022, the strongest performance by a democratic gubernatorial candidate in Massachusetts since 1986.