Maine’s Nirav Shah enters U.S. Senate race

Shah launched his campaign following Democratic nominee Graham Platner's withdrawal.

Dr Nirav Shah. / Shah for Maine

Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah on July 9 launched a bid for the US Senate seat from Maine, setting up a challenge to incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the 2026 election.

Shah announced his candidacy in a video message, saying he was running to "defeat Susan Collins" and arguing that Maine needed stronger representation in Washington.

Also Read: Maine’s Nirav Shah mulls U.S. Senate bid

His announcement came after Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner announced he was ending his campaign following a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied.

Once Platner formally withdraws from the ballot, Maine Democrats can select a replacement nominee under state law.

As your next United States Senator,
I will fight for Medicare for All because nobody in the wealthiest country on earth should go bankrupt over a medical bill. I will fight to make billionaires and the biggest corporations finally pay their fair share. I will fight to rein in… pic.twitter.com/Lp6H0rxkbn
— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 9, 2026

Addressing Platner's supporters, Shah said, "To those who supported Graham Platner, my message is this: You have an important place in this campaign because it represents the values that we all care about–building a state and a country where everyone can get ahead, respecting our neighbors, and holding Donald Trump accountable."

Criticizing Collins' nearly three decades in the Senate, Shah said, "Susan Collins has been in Washington for nearly 30 years, and the longer she stays, the less that Maine families have to show for it. Maine deserves a fighter in this seat, and I will be that fighter."

Shah outlined a progressive platform that includes support for Medicare for All, higher taxes on billionaires and large corporations, immigration enforcement reforms, and opposition to President Donald Trump's foreign policy.

"I will fight for Medicare for All because in the wealthiest country on earth, nobody should ever go bankrupt over a medical bill," Shah said. He also pledged to "make billionaires and the biggest corporations finally pay their fair share," "rein in ICE and end the targeting of our immigrant neighbors," and "end Trump's reckless foreign wars." He added that he would oppose Trump's "far-right judges" and Cabinet secretaries.

In a post on X, Shah reiterated those priorities, saying the race was "not about one person or one seat" but about "everyday Mainers."

"I've shown up and fought for you before, and I am ready to do it again," he wrote.

A physician and public health expert, Shah rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic through his daily briefings as director of the Maine CDC from 2019 to 2023.

He later served as principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before returning to Maine.

Earlier this year, he finished second in Maine's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

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Comments

JD

James DURAISWAMY

2026-07-10 00:00:00

It may be an uphill battle for this gentleman to compete in the blood sport called US politics. He is attempting to replace an idiot and a Nazi whom all the Democrats suddenly abandoned due to his transgressions. Besides, he is going against Susan Collins, who has been in the Senate for a long time, albeit I consider her to be one of the weakest candidates.

Mr. Shah starts his video message with "Medicare for All." How is this viable? Medicare has had a lot of issues since the way it was designed. Due to the population decline in the USA, the numbers may not add up. Just because the US is wealthy, it does not mean it has to distribute wealth to everyone. Remember that fool Obama? Everything that idiot touched was a misery.

Leave the billionaires alone. It is not their responsibility to keep the government funded. They pay an enormous amount of taxes and employ a multitude of people. The thought process Mr. Shah brings forth has connotations of Karl Marx's theories, which have never worked in any nation. I challenge him to give me an example of a successful country where the government was the solution rather than the problem.

One has to run for office on their own merits rather than relying on government interference. People need to change their thought process from asking for a "fair share" to managing with the money they already have. The question is, what is a fair share? 10%, 40%, 60%, or 100%? Jeff Bezos said that even if he pays all his money, the government cannot survive. That statement comes from a person who changed history in retailing and AWS.

But then again, Mr. Shah is a Democrat. He does not know how basic economics work.Thatcher said that the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money. When that happens, what do they do? PRINT. Ask sleepy Joe, he runs a printing press next to his ancient Corvette in his garage.