Dr. Nirav Shah is leading the Democratic primary for Maine governor after the first round of ranked choice voting and remains on track to win the Democratic nomination, delivering a clear mandate from Maine voters.
Shah’s first-round lead caps a dominant primary campaign, boosted by the support of 314 Action Fund—the nation’s only organization dedicated to recruiting, training, and electing doctors and scientists to public office. 314 Action Fund endorsed Shah in December 2025 and invested $750,000 in his race, including multiple television and digital ad buys highlighting his leadership and contrasting that with his opponents.
“After the first round of ranked choice, one thing is certain: Dr. Nirav Shah is on track to be the Democratic nominee for Maine Governor in November. Maine voters sent an unmistakable message tonight: they want a governor who leads with facts, not politics,” said Shaughnessy Naugthon, President of 314 Action. “314 Action was proud to support Dr. Shah from the beginning, investing $750,000 into his primary campaign. By finishing in first place in Tuesday’s competitive Maine primary, Shah proved once again that voters want public health officials as their elected officials, especially ones like Dr. Shah who have steered Maine through crisis before. We’re all-in to support him in November to ensure Maine’s governor’s mansion stays blue.”
Shah served as Maine CDC Director during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he rebuilt an agency that had been dismantled by the previous Republican administration and led Maine’s response with a clarity and competence that became a blueprint for the nation. The Biden administration then tapped him to serve as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC, elevating him from state to national leadership at one of the most consequential public health moments in American history.
314 Action Fund endorsed Dr. Shah as a Guardian of Public Health candidate, part of the organization’s effort to elect 100 doctors, nurses, and health care professionals to office by 2030.