Senators Durbin and Duckworth Oppose Nirav Shah's Senate Candidacy

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has joined Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in opposing Nirav Shah's candidacy for the Senate seat in Maine. Both senators cite Shah's involvement in a 2015 Legionnaires' disease outbreak during his tenure as the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Duckworth expressed her concerns shortly after Shah announced his candidacy, recalling her previous calls for his resignation in 2018 due to the outbreak. Durbin criticized Shah's record, stating, 'He made a mess of things involving a veterans’ home in Quincy, Illinois,' where 14 veterans died due to the outbreak. Shah led the Illinois Department of Public Health from 2015 to 2019, during which the outbreak occurred. Duckworth emphasized that 'Maine deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans.' Shah has acknowledged his failure to effectively communicate the issues at the veterans' home. After leaving Illinois, he directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention until 2023 and later served as principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the Biden administration.