It looks like Rayla Campbell may end up running for lieutenant governor rather than the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
The conservative Republican from Randolph who ran as a write-in candidate against U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Dorchester) in the state’s Seventh Congressional District last November filed with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance to run for lieutenant governor late Thursday morning. Campbell is the first candidate of any party to file to run as lieutenant governor in 2022.
Additionally, Campbell updated her cover photo on her Facebook page to a graphic that says “Rayla Campbell Republican for Lt. Governor.”
Campbell is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and supports school choice, as she told NewBostonPost last year. Additionally, she opposes the Green New Deal and lowering the voting age to 16.
Campbell is a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump. She was the Black Voices for Trump chairman for Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, she is not a fan of incumbent Massachusetts Republican Charlie Baker and has described him as a RINO on several occasions.
More recently, Campbell has been volunteering for the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation to distribute food in Randolph for veterans and others in need amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s unclear if incumbent lieutenant governor Karyn Polito plans to seek a third term or not. Governor Baker has not announced whether he will seek a third term — and if he does not run again, it is widely believed that Polito would run for governor.
Additionally, former Barnstable County Commissioner Ron Beaty expressed interest in running for lieutenant governor last year, but he has not filed with the state to do so yet.
Campbell plans to formally kick off her campaign on Thursday, March 25 at a 7 p.m. fund-raising event at MIXX 360 Nightlife in Malden.
Campbell could not be reached for comment on Thursday, March 18.
