Dr. Nirav Shah, 48, is the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2019-2023) and former principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023-2025) under President Biden. A physician, economist, and attorney, Shah returned to Maine after Trump's election and is currently a professor at Colby College. Launched his campaign in October 2025 and quickly amassed $500,000+ in fundraising, indicating strong initial support from national Democratic donors.
Physician, economist, and attorney. Led Maine CDC (2019-2023) during pandemic, then served as principal deputy director of CDC under Biden (2023-2025). Worked previously as director of Illinois Department of Health. Managed multimillion-dollar budgets in public health. Returns to Maine after Trump election; currently teaching at Colby College.