North Chelmsford resident Lorena Betts has launched her candidacy for 16th Middlesex State Representative, setting up a 2026 Democratic Primary challenge to incumbent Rep. Rodney Elliott (D-Lowell).

Betts is Co-Founder of The Peacemakers Network and previously worked as a legislative aide for 37th Middlesex State Representative Dan Sena (D-Groton).  She immigrated to the United States from Brazil in 2011, working as an au pair in the Boston area, where she met her husband. The couple eventually started a family and moved to Lowell, before settling in North Chelmsford, where they are raising their three children.

Betts’ website lists affordability, health care and climate action among the top priorities of her platform.

“I believe in affordable housing that stays affordable, in healthcare that reaches people where they live, and in public investment that creates local jobs, not contractor profits,” Betts tells InsideLowell. “I believe our district deserves a real voice at the table and policies shaped by people, not just professionals.”

Elliot has represented the 16th Middlesex District since January of 2023. The district is comprised of Lowell’s Pawtucketville and Centralville neighborhoods, along with Chelmsford Center and North Chelmsford.