Nirav Shah announces Senate bid in Maine

Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, announced his U.S. Senate bid Thursday following Graham Platner's announcement that he will step down as the Democratic nominee. "Now, it is time to focus on the future — because our goals of flipping Maine's Senate seat and the entire U.S. Senate have not changed," Mr. Shah said at a campaign kickoff in Freeport. "And that is why this morning, I announced my candidacy for the United States Senate, to defeat Susan Collins in the fall." Mr. Shah had recently lost in the Democratic primary for governor of Maine as a runner-up before jumping right back into the game. The Maine Democratic Party said it will select a replacement nominee at a nominating convention but did not provide further details. Under state law, the party must choose its nominee by July 27. So far, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban and former Capitol Hill staffer Jordan Wood have also announced campaigns for the Democratic nomination. #maine #senate #election2026 #shah #cspan