A new statewide poll in Maine, released December 10, 2025, shows Nirav Shah in first place in the Democratic primary for governor, leading the field with the highest level of likely support.
This is early days as the primary is scheduled to be held on June 9, 2026, and the general election is on November 3. It is a crowded field for Democrats with at 7 candidates currently in the race to get their party’s endorsement. Three Republicans are vying for their party’s support come June 9.
Maine’s Democratic Governor Janet Mills is term limited and will not be running for a third term.
Shah’s campaign says his lead in the poll shows the enthusiasm behind his candidacy and reflects the “deep trust” Shah built with Mainers during his service at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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The new Pan Atlantic Research Poll — conducted November 29 through December 7 — shows Shah leading the field in the 2026 gubernatorial race, with 24% of likely Democratic primary voters saying they would “likely support” his candidacy, the highest of any candidate tested, the press release said.
“Mainers saw Nirav Shah lead with clarity, compassion, and courage during one of the most difficult moments in our state’s history,” said Campaign Manager Kayla vanWieringen. “That trust didn’t disappear — it has become the foundation of a movement. These results show Mainers believe he is the person to guide us through the challenges ahead as our next Governor.”
Shah, who previously led the Maine CDC before serving as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC, “has earned a reputation as a calm, effective problem-solver who brings people together,” the campaign said.
His campaign agenda focuses on making Maine more affordable, strengthening health care, supporting working families, and delivering real results for communities across the state.
In response to the new poll, Shah released the following statement:
“I’m honored and humbled by the support Mainers are showing in this campaign. What I hear every day as I travel across the state — from nurses and small business owners to teachers and retirees — is that Maine people are ready for something different. They want a leader who will deliver real change and tackle big challenges: unsustainable increases to the cost of living and housing, an economy that’s not delivering for people, and a health care system that’s struggling and will only get worse because of Trump.”
Shah went on to say, “This poll reflects that hunger for change, but it’s only one data point. I’m running to earn Mainers’ trust every single day by listening, learning, and offering real solutions to the challenges families face.”
Campaign leadership say Shah’s rise is driven by the same qualities Mainers came to rely on during the pandemic: steady judgment, clear communication, and a deep commitment to protecting the health and well-being of the state.
“As we talk with voters across Maine, the message is unmistakable,” vanWieringen added. “People believe in Nirav because they’ve already seen him deliver when it mattered most.”
His biography on the campaign website, shahformaine.com, shows he was born and raised in a small rural town of 5,000 people in northern Wisconsin, attended public schools and went on to do medicine and law at the University of Chicago.
He spent a decade working as a healthcare lawyer before being chosen to lead the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he oversaw a multi-million-dollar budget, and is credited with working across the aisle to address the opioid crisis, maternal mortality, and childhood lead poisoning.
In 2016, Governor Mills appointed him Director of the Maine CDC. As Covid 19 hit, Shah is credited with procuring personal protective equipment to protect healthcare workers, and expanded testing. According to his bio, Maine’s vaccine rollout became a model for the nation, and Shah’s record led President Biden to appoint him Principal Deputy Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He returned to Maine when President Trump was elected. Shah currently teaches public health at Colby College.