Nirav Shah / Shah for Maine

Former Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah said he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate as Democratic nominee Graham Platner faces mounting pressure to withdraw following sexual assault allegations.

Shah, an Indian American physician who unsuccessfully ran for governor in June, said he has received "hundreds of encouraging messages" urging him to enter the race.

Also Read: Nirav Shah concedes Maine Governor primary race

This comes after allegations made by a former girlfriend prompted the Maine Democratic Party, Senate Democratic leaders and several prominent Democrats to call on Platner to end his campaign. Platner has denied the allegations and said he is reflecting on his political future.

 

The latest on the Maine Senate race. pic.twitter.com/L23T7IHdl1

— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 7, 2026

In a video statement and a series of social media posts, Shah said he is discussing a possible Senate bid with his family while urging the Maine Democratic Party to adopt an open and transparent process for selecting a nominee should Platner formally withdraw.

"I myself have been approached and have received hundreds of encouraging messages from folks across the state," Shah said. "Right now, my family and I are evaluating things."

He said he has been speaking with his wife about whether entering the race is "the right next move."

Shah also reiterated his call for Platner to leave the race, describing the allegations against him as "horrifying and appalling."

pic.twitter.com/RCWNEKKHWm

— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 7, 2026

"Before a subsequent nominee can be chosen, Graham himself has to drop out of the race and that has to happen by Monday, July 13th," Shah said. "After that, the state party has two weeks to select its replacement nominee."

Under Maine election law, Platner must formally withdraw by July 13 for Democrats to replace him on the November ballot. If he does, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to choose a replacement nominee, although party leaders have not yet announced how the selection process will be conducted.

Shah said that process should be "as open and transparent as possible."

"As the Maine Democratic Party determines the nominating process, one thing is clear: it should be transparent and open," Shah wrote in a separate statement. "Mainers should see and hear directly from the candidates vying to represent our state at the highest level."

He also urged candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to participate in at least one televised debate and hold public town halls across the state.

"Anyone running for this nomination should agree to at least one televised debate and hold multiple public town halls across every corner of the state. I am committed to doing that, if I run," he said.

While stopping short of announcing a candidacy, Shah outlined priorities he would champion if he enters the race, including holding President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans accountable, confirming federal judges he said reflect Maine's values, expanding economic opportunities and supporting Medicare for All.

In his written statement, Shah said defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins remains his top priority.

"The bottom line here and the goal of all of this is to defeat Senator Collins in the fall," Shah said in the video. "I will do whatever I can, whether or not I enter the race, to make sure that this is her last term in office."

Reflecting on his 2026 gubernatorial campaign, Shah said he held more than 30 town halls, won the most votes in the first round of the Democratic primary and carried both of Maine's congressional districts.

"My campaign for governor was never about me. It was about a belief that Maine deserves better and the need for leaders driven by urgency and compassion," Shah wrote.

He added that his gubernatorial campaign built what he described as "the strongest organic grassroots movement from scratch," without establishment backing or major political endorsements.

Other Democrats, including Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, have also been mentioned as potential contenders if Platner formally withdraws, setting up a race to challenge Collins as one of the Democrats' top Senate targets in the 2026 midterm elections.

Discover more at New India Abroad.