State Rep. Peter Durant, a Spencer Republican, plans to announce next week a run for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Sen. Anne Gobi, who is leaving the Legislature to join the Healey administration, according to a person with knowledge of the decision.
Republicans view Gobi’s district as a prime opportunity to pick up a seat in the Senate, where there are only three Republicans and Democrats hold a super majority. Durant’s decision to run will pit him against his House colleague, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, a Gardner Democrat.
Durant did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
All three of the Senate’s Republicans told the Herald last week that they are confident a Republican can win a race in what they view as a competitive district.
As of the end of April, Zlotnik reported $32,114 in campaign cash and Durant reported $828 on hand, according to state campaign finance records.
Durant is a sixth-term state lawmaker who serves as the ranking minority member on both the Judiciary Committee and House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight.
But Gobi previously said the makeup of the district — which includes a portion of Worcester, Gardner, and Holden — means there is a “heavy Democratic” presence in the area.
“So I think it’s a good opportunity for a Democrat to retain the seat,” she told reporters in the State House the day her departure was announced.
Zlotnik has said the 22 communities that make up the Senate district “deserve a Senator who knows how to work with their local officials to build a stronger district from the ground up.”
“I have proven my commitment to my constituents. I have a proven bipartisan track record of problem-solving and consensus-building. I look forward to the opportunity to do the same for so many in the North Quabbin and Central Massachusetts Regions,” he said in a statement last week.
Durant already appears to be zeroing in on key issues that may play to voters in the area.
The Republican said Wednesday that he filed a records request with the Healey administration seeking a range of information regarding the number of “non-residents” housed in the state and the associated costs.
The request asks how many hotels and motels have contracted with the state to house migrants, undocumented immigrants, and refugees; the current number of hotel and motel rooms the state is currently paying for; and how many hotels and motels the state is in the process of negotiating with to house more people.
“The people of Massachusetts have the right to know what is happening and what it is costing the taxpayers. We deserve transparency,” Durant said in a statement.
Gov. Maura Healey announced last week that Gobi would start as the administration’s director of rural affairs on June 4 and step down from the seat she has held for five terms on June 4.
Healey said the Spencer Democrat has shown a “fierce advocacy of rural equity, agricultural and small businesses, and conservation initiatives.”
“We want to send a clear message to every single person who calls rural Massachusetts home – we see you, we value you, and we’re going to work every day to ensure you have the representation and support you deserve,” Healey said.