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Dr Nirav Shah announces Maine Governor run
Born to Indian immigrant parents, Shah said he wants to tackle issues such as rising costs of living and housing.
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Pranavi Sharma - Mon, 20, Oct 2025
- 22:41 EDT
- 24
Dr Nirav Shah. / Shah for Maine
Democrat Nirav Shah, an Indian-origin public health leader and former Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced his candidacy for governor of Maine on Oct.20. Shah, who previously led the Maine CDC through the COVID-19 pandemic, said his campaign would focus on pragmatic leadership and rebuilding trust in government.
Shah was born in 1977 in Wisconsin to Indian immigrant parents and raised in the same state. He earned degrees in psychology and biology from the University of Louisville in 1999 before embarking on a career that has combined law, economics, and public health.
“I’ve been lucky to talk with thousands of Mainers from every corner of our state, and hear their worries and aspirations,” Shah said. “Maine is at a crossroads, and we need a governor with proven leadership experience who is ready to tackle our challenges on day one. I’m running for governor to honor what works, fix what doesn’t, and deliver results for our state.”
ALSO READ: Nirav Shah joins Colby College as visiting professor
Reflecting on his tenure as Maine CDC Director, Shah added, “I saw how we could get through incredibly tough times together with empathy, resilience, and vision. I’ll bring those same values as governor to tackle big challenges: the unsustainable increases to the cost of living and housing, an economy that’s not delivering for people, and a rural health care system that’s struggling and will only get worse because of Trump.”
He emphasized his management experience and problem-solving approach: “The challenges facing our state require a leader with a different skill set to bring Mainers more than they have today. I’ve run organizations with tens of thousands of employees and managed multi-billion dollar budgets by being curious, asking tough questions, and demanding accountability. As governor, I will run toward tough problems, not away from them.”
Shah was appointed in 2019 by Governor Janet Mills to head the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where he rebuilt the agency after years of cuts under the previous Republican administration. When the pandemic hit, he acted swiftly to secure protective equipment, expand testing, and oversee one of the fastest vaccine rollouts in the country—helping Maine maintain one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the United States.
His leadership during the pandemic later led to his appointment as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC under President Joe Biden. After leaving that post, Shah returned to Maine, where he now teaches at Colby College and continues to engage in community work.
Shah lives in Brunswick with his wife, Kara, and their German Shepherd, Fritz. He will formally launch his campaign Monday with a series of events across Maine, including appearances in Portland, Lewiston, Waterville, and Brunswick.
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