AUGUSTA, Maine (Diya TV) — Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah announced Thursday that he is running for the U.S. Senate. His decision comes one day after Democrat Graham Platner suspended his campaign following rape allegations that he has strongly denied.
Shah now joins a growing group of Democrats seeking the party’s nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November. Collins, who has served in the Senate for nearly three decades, is seeking a sixth six-year term.
Shah gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic while leading Maine’s public health agency. Earlier this year, he finished as the runner-up in the Democratic primary for governor. Now, he says he wants to bring a different vision to Washington.
“Today I am excited to announce my candidacy for the United States Senate to defeat Susan Collins,” Shah said in a statement. He also announced plans for a statewide “Defeat Susan Collins Town Hall Tour.” His campaign said it will release dates and locations in the coming weeks.
Shah also reached out to supporters of Platner. He said they would have a place in his campaign despite the sudden change in the race. He described his campaign as one built around values shared by many Maine Democrats.
Platner ended his Senate campaign Wednesday in an 11-minute video posted on social media. He said staying in the race could hurt the broader political movement that had formed around his campaign. However, he again denied allegations made by a former girlfriend, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2021. Platner said the accusations were false and insisted that the alleged incident never happened.
The allegations quickly changed the Democratic Senate race. Several prominent Democrats urged Platner to step aside after the claims became public. Soon afterward, he suspended his campaign.
Under Maine law, the Maine Democratic Party has until July 27 to choose a replacement nominee. Platner won the June Democratic primary with 72% of the vote, but his withdrawal opened the door for several new candidates.
Besides Shah, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson and Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban have already entered the race. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has said she is seriously considering a campaign. Democratic candidate David Costello also said he would run if Platner left the race. In addition, Jordan Wood, who shifted his focus to Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, has said he may return to the Senate contest.
Shah also outlined several policy priorities during his campaign launch. He criticized Collins for supporting what he described as a political system that benefits President Donald Trump. He argued that Maine needs new leadership in the Senate.
In addition, Shah said he supports Medicare for All, higher taxes on billionaires and large corporations, immigration reforms, and an end to what he called Trump’s “reckless foreign wars.” He said those issues would remain central to his campaign as he travels across the state.
“For too long, Susan Collins has upheld a corrupt system that benefits Donald Trump and hurts Mainers,” Shah said.
Collins, 73, remains one of the Republican Party’s most experienced lawmakers. She is the longest-serving Republican woman in Senate history. Her campaign for another six-year term is expected to attract national attention because Democrats view the seat as one of their top opportunities in the 2026 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the Maine Democratic Party has started the process of selecting a new nominee. On Wednesday, the Democratic State Committee voted to hold a one-day nominating convention instead of another primary election. According to a party source, the proposal passed by a vote of 65-14, with about 82% support.
The convention is expected to include the committee’s 113 members along with about 500 delegates chosen by county committees across the state. Party leaders said they will announce details about the schedule, participation rules, and candidate requirements soon.
According to a source familiar with the meeting, anyone seeking the Democratic nomination must officially declare their candidacy with the party and submit 200 signatures of support. As the deadline approaches, the Democratic field continues to expand, setting up a closely watched contest to determine who will face Collins in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races.
