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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know US Affairs News India Times (July 11, 2026 - July 17, 2026) July 17, 2026 5 Former Maine Gubernatorial Candidate Nirav Shah, “The Covid Guy” Declares Bid For US Senate D r. Nirav Shah, who ran a rigor- ous campaign for Governor of Maine and lost the Democratic primary, is now making a bid for the US Senate seat in place of disgraced Democratic candidate Graham Platner who is withdrawing after allegations of sexual misconduct. Shah, who is described as “The Covid Guy” by Politico, is among numer- ous options being considered by the Democratic Party, to replace Platner at short notice in the race for the US Senate. In an email blast July 7, 2026, Shah said he had “received hundreds of en- couraging messages” to consider a run for the US Senate. By July 9 afternoon, he formally declared his campaign for a Capitol Hill seat in the Upper House. “Right now, our number one priority must be defeating Senator Susan Col- lins,” he opined, referring to the long time Republican moderate who has occupied that seat. Shah said he has been consulting with family, friends, and his campaign team and Mainers across the state before deciding, which according to an update, revealed “an outpouring of support” from grassroots supporters. To pre-empt any background dealings by the Maine Democratic Party when determining the nominating process, Sha asserted, “one thing is clear: the process should be transparent and open. Mainers deserve to see and hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent our state at the highest level.” He demanded that anyone run- ning for this nomination should agree to at least one televised debate and hold multiple public town halls across every corner of the state. During his campaign for governor, Shah’s team hosted more than 30 town halls —more than anyone else in the primary, but he lost to fellow Demo- crat Hannah Pingree in the fourth round of counting when Pingree won 56.2 percent of the Democratic vote and Shah received 43.8 percent, Bal- lotpedia reported. Shah is hoping his grassroots out- reach for the gubernatorial campaign could pay off if he runs for Senate. “We received the most votes in the first round, won both of Maine’s con- gressional districts, and won or led in more towns than any other candidate: 198 communities across suburban, rural, and working-class Maine. Those votes of trust are not something I take lightly,” he said about his gubernato- rial primary. Politico, in its analysis of the fallout from Platner’s withdrawal from the US Senate race, noted that while veteran state politician Troy Jackson, 58, was getting attention, and received Senator Bernie Sanders’ support, “he (Jackson) finished a distant third in last month’s gu- bernatorial primary behind public health official Nirav Shah and the eventual win- ner, Hannah Pingree.” Politico went on to note that “the Covid guy” Shah, 49, “received more votes than any other candidate in that same gubernatorial primary, and was only beaten in the final round of ranked- choice voting.” Dr. Shah, the news outlet noted is “universally known” in Maine for his four-year leadership of the state Center for Disease Control and Prevention at the height of the pandemic from 2019 to 2023. “Shah became a cult figure” Politico said, during the pandemic, coming across to the public for his “compassion- ate and relatable handling of the crisis.” “He (Shah) amassed a large online fanbase, and his face appeared on T- shirts, mugs and candy bars,” Politico noted, but also pointed to several other alternative candidates trying to position themselves as Platner replacements. But Shah has hopes. “I’m not an establishment politician, and I’m not an insider. I’m a public servant who served Maine through one of its dark- est times,” Shah said. “Our campaign built a powerful grassroots movement from scratch, without outside backing, institutional support, or major political endorsements. We proved that Mainers are hungry for leadership that is honest, independent, and focused on making life better for working people,” Shah claimed. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:SCREENSHOT Dr. Nirav Shah in a video on his Facebook account. Dutchess County, NY Lawmaker Lisa Kaul Now Running For NY State Senate L isa Kaul, a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD from Oxford University, who has served as a Dutchess County, NY legislator since 2023, won the Democratic Primary for State Senator from District 39, June 3, 2026. She will face off against Republican/ Conservative Party candidate Robert Rolison in the November 3 general elec- tion. Kaul, who grew up in India and came to the US in 2004 from UK, soundly defeated her Democratic rivals in the June 23 primary, securing 62 percent of the vote. Her opponents Evan Menist, a Democrat, won 30.4 percent and Gay Lee, Working Families Party, 7.5 percent, according to Ballotpedia. During her campaign for the primary, Kaul got some ringing endorsements from local sources. The Highlands Current ran a “Reader Endorsement: State Senate 39” news item where Kaul’s background of activism and her achieve- ments were laid out by former candi- dates for office like Julie Shiroishi, the Democratic candidate for District 39 in 2022, who said, “Even if you don’t know Lisa, you have been touched by some- thing she’s accomplished.” Shiroishi went on to recount Kaul’s participation in theWomen’s March in Poughkeepsie in 2017; her work on the school board; launching the Poughkeep- sie Repair Café; flipping a Republican seat to be in the Dutchess County Leg- islature; being on the board of Planned Parenthood of Greater NewYork Action Fund, to name a few. She is described as “A stalwart en- vironmental champion,” helping local businesses, and being endorsed by ma- jor unions. “I’ve met a lot of candidates for local office in my time. I’ve never met anyone as impressive as Lisa Kaul,” Shiroishi said. Kaul launched her State Senate cam- paign December 2025, and has garnered numerous endorsements including from lawmakers in Congress, nurses, chil- dren’s rights groups, and seniors’ groups. In the Dutchess County Legislature, Kaul serves as Chair of the Environ- ment Committee, Vice-Chair of Family and Human Services Committee, and a member of several others. For her endorsements and more on Kaul’s campaign for the November gen- eral elections, visit lisa4ny.org . By a StaffWriter PHOTO:LISA4NY.ORG Lisa Kaul