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Nirav Shah touts grassroots support at Maine town hall
Earlier on July 11, Shah announced that he had formally filed paperwork with the Maine Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate.
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Staff Reporter - Sun, 12, Jul 2026
- 02:08 EDT
- 32
Dr. Nirav Shah's town hall in Freeport, Maine / Handout
More than 200 people attended Indian American Democrat Dr. Nirav Shah's town hall in Freeport, Maine, on July 11, as he continued his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Shah's campaign said the event reached capacity despite being announced less than 24 hours in advance. His next town hall is scheduled for Bangor on July 12.
Also Read: Maine’s Nirav Shah enters U.S. Senate race
Shah's campaign said he is the only candidate in the Maine Democratic Senate primary currently holding public events across the state.
"What we saw in Freeport today is what this campaign is all about," Shah said. "More than 200 people gave up a Saturday with less than 24 hours' notice to show up and be part of something bigger than any one candidate."
"That grassroots energy is real, it is growing, and it is exactly what it will take to win this seat in November," he added.
Shah also contrasted his campaign with incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
"Mainers deserve a Senator who actually shows up," he said. "Susan Collins has not held a town hall in more than 25 years. I will keep holding them in every corner of this state, as a candidate and as Maine's next senator."
The campaign also criticized Collins, saying she has not held a public town hall in more than 25 years despite calls from constituents.
Earlier on July 11, Shah announced that he had formally filed paperwork with the Maine Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate.
"I've officially submitted my paperwork with the Maine Democratic Party to run for Senate," Shah wrote in a post on X, adding that candidates were asked to submit statements describing how they 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 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."
Shah said his campaign would focus on meeting voters across Maine through town halls and direct conversations.
"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 said the campaign would focus on the concerns of working families, older residents, young people, new Mainers and rural communities while running what he described as a high energy campaign through Election Day.
Shah also said the race was about creating "a state and a country where everyone can get ahead, where we respect and love our neighbors, and where Donald Trump is held accountable."
A physician, epidemiologist and former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shah entered the Senate race after the Democratic nomination process reopened following candidate Platner's withdrawal over sexual assault allegations, which Platner has denied. Under Maine law, the state Democratic Party is scheduled to choose a replacement nominee by July 27 following a nominating convention on July 25.
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