While Massachusetts is one of the bluest states in the nation, with Democrats holding every federal and statewide office, Republicans have seen some success on a local level. For instance, in 2022 voters in Worcester County (Biden +18 & Harris +10) re-elected Republican Sheriff Lew Evangelidis, who has held the office since 2010. In his bid for a third term*, Evangelidis was challenged by David Fontaine (D), a veteran and mental health advocate. In the campaign, Evangelidis focused on continuing a variety of programs implemented over his tenure, such as a program pairing inmates with shelter dogs or substance abuse programs, while Fontaine campaigned on reinstituting the Department's K9 program, increasing correctional officer training, and reallocating funds to mental health specialists and social workers. However, Evangelidis started the campaign with a disproportionally massive (over 400:1) over Fontaine, a gap that remained throughout the campaign. In the end, Evangelidis' arguments and finances won out, as he defeated Fontaine by over 50,000 votes, or 17.8%. Evangelidis did best in rural and suburban areas across the county, while Fontaine only won Worcester and a few smaller towns.  

Evangelidis was later found by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to have violated Massachusetts' campaign finance laws, but since the underlying activity was reported, they "determined that this matter may be closed at this time,".