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Nirav Shah files paperwork for Senate
Former Maine CDC director outlined grassroots vision as Democrats seek nominee to challenge Sen. Susan Collins.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 11, Jul 2026
- 15:17 EDT
- 51
Nirav Shah / Shah for Maine
Indian American Democrat Nirav Shah on July 11 filed to run for the US Senate in Maine, outlining a grassroots campaign focused on reaching voters across the state.
"I've officially submitted my paperwork with the Maine Democratic Party to run for Senate," Shah announced in a post on X, saying the Maine Democratic Party had asked all Senate candidates to submit a statement outlining how their campaigns would build on the state's grassroots movement.
Also Read: Indian American Impact endorses Nirav Shah in Maine U.S. Senate race
In his candidate statement, Shah criticized incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, writing, "We cannot afford another six years of Susan Collins letting Washington pass its costs and crises on to Maine families."
He said Maine needed "a senator who will show up, speak plainly, listen closely, and stand with Mainers when it matters most," adding that he welcomed "every Mainer to build with us, together."
I've officially submitted my paperwork with the Maine Democratic Party to run for Senate.
— Nirav D. Shah (@nirav_maine) July 11, 2026
They've asked all candidates to submit a statement on our visions of how our campaigns will continue to build on the grassroots movement to ensure no Mainer is left behind by their next… pic.twitter.com/xZ0bvea06y
Shah said his campaign would emphasize listening to voters through town halls and conversations across the state.
"It means crisscrossing Maine, holding town halls, answering hard questions, and including people who have too often been shut out of political conversations or disillusioned by the process," he wrote.
He added that his campaign would focus on the concerns of "working families, older Mainers, young people, new Mainers, and rural communities," and pledged to run a "high-energy campaign" from the Democratic nomination through Election Day.
Also Read: Maine’s Nirav Shah enters U.S. Senate race
Framing the race as a broader contest over the state's future, Shah said it was about building "a state and a country where everyone can get ahead, where we respect and love our neighbors, and where Donald Trump is held accountable."
He also said Maine's Senate seat should be used "to fight for us, not to protect the status quo or the establishment in Washington."
Shah's entry comes after Platner withdrew from the race following sexual assault allegations, which he has denied. Under Maine law, the state Democratic Party must choose a replacement nominee by July 27, with a nominating convention scheduled for July 25. Shah is among several Democrats seeking the nomination in a race expected to draw national attention during the 2026 midterm elections.
A physician, epidemiologist and former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shah gained statewide prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. He previously sought the Democratic nomination for governor before entering the Senate race after the party reopened the nomination process.
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