Sen. Peter Durant, a Spencer Republican, said he is considering running for governor in 2026, adding to the field of conservatives who believe Gov. Maura Healey is a vulnerable candidate should she decide to run for a second term.

Durant, whose potential candidacy was first reported by WBUR, said he is aiming to make a decision before Memorial Day in May and believes Massachusetts is “heading in the wrong direction.”

“I think there is an opportunity here,” Durant told the Herald Thursday. “We’re going to spend some time deciding whether or not I’m the best person to do that. We’re going through the process of working through this.”

Durant, who won a special election last year to flip a Central Massachusetts seat, said a Republican can retake the corner office in 2026 because Healey is “beatable.” He said he is doing “some soul searching” to decide whether he is the right person for the job.

The Spencer Republican is the second conservative to seriously consider a gubernatorial bid. Mike Kennealy, a former cabinet secretary under Gov. Charlie Baker, said earlier this month that he is debating a run for governor.

Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis and Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official, have also been floated as potential Republican candidates in 2026.

Durant said is deciding if he has the right policy ideas and fundraising ability.

“Can we make a difference? I think the answer to that question, again, is yes,” he said.

Healey, an Arlington Democrat, has not said whether she plans to run for reelection in 2026. She has fielded a series of crises during her first two years in office, including the meltdown of Steward Health Care and an explosion of demand in the state-run shelter system.

In an interview with the Herald in December, Healey said she loved her job and felt “really privileged to be governor.”

“There’s a lot more I want to do,” she said.