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Nirav Shah leading Maine governor democratic primary, poll shows
Shah rose to statewide prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 13, Dec 2025
- 10:31 EST
- 20
Nirav Shah / Shah for Maine
Indian American Democrat Nirav Shah is leading the Democratic primary field for Maine governor, according to a new statewide poll.
The Pan Atlantic Research Omnibus Poll found that 24 percent of likely primary voters said they would support Shah. He was followed by Angus King III at 19 percent, Hannah Pingree at 18 percent, Shenna Bellows at 16 percent and Troy Jackson at 8 percent.
Also Read: Nirav Shah raises $275K in first week of Maine gubernatorial campaign
When respondents were asked to include candidates they would consider supporting, King led with a combined 62 percent, followed by Pingree at 56 percent, Shah at 52 percent, Bellows at 48 percent and Jackson at 32 percent, underscoring a still-fluid Democratic primary.
The survey also pointed to differences in voter familiarity. About 32 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said they were not familiar with Shah, compared with 15 percent for Pingree and 14 percent for King, suggesting room for further consolidation as the campaign progresses.
Shah rose to statewide prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where he led the state’s public health response and delivered regular briefings.
He later served as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency’s second-highest post, and briefly as acting director before stepping down in early 2025. Shah has since returned to Maine and joined Colby College as a visiting professor.
Shah officially launched his gubernatorial campaign in October 2025, entering a crowded Democratic field that includes Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former House Speaker Hannah Pingree, former Senate President Troy Jackson and energy executive Angus King III.
Maine’s primary elections are scheduled for June 9, 2026, with the general election set for Nov. 3, 2026.
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