Senate Race Controversy: Duckworth Calls for Shah to Withdraw

From 2015 to 2019, Shah led the Illinois Department of Public Health. During that tenure, a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy killed at least 13 veterans and sickened dozens more. In 2018, Duckworth and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) issued a joint statement calling for Shah’s resignation, citing investigations that suggested the crisis was known as early as 2015 and that state officials “chose to sit on their hands.” Shah later entered Maine’s gubernatorial primary, finishing third, before shifting to the Senate contest.

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Duckworth’s recent post on X framed the issue as a matter of veteran safety, asserting that Maine “deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans.” She reiterated her 2018 position, stating she “strongly oppose[s] his run for Senate now.” Shah responded by acknowledging communication shortcomings during the outbreak, noting he “could have done a better job communicating” and that the experience taught him lessons he applied during the pandemic response in Maine.

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Duckworth’s criticism centers on Shah’s handling of the veterans’ home crisis, portraying it as a failure of leadership that endangers public trust. Shah dismissed the criticism as “distraction” and “dirty politics,” arguing that his subsequent actions in Maine demonstrated accountability and improved communication.

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• “Maine deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans,” — Sen. Tammy Duckworth

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• “Too many of our heroes lost their lives under Nirav Shah’s watch as Illinois Public Health Director.” — Sen. Tammy Duckworth

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• “There was definitive evidence that a serious public health crisis was underway at the veterans’ home in Quincy in 2015, and the Rauner Administration and Director Shah chose to sit on their hands as veterans and staff at the home fell victim to these deadly bacteria,” — Sen. Tammy Duckworth (2018 joint statement)

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• “I called for his resignation then, and I strongly oppose his run for Senate now,” — Sen. Tammy Duckworth

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• “I could have done a better job communicating,” — Nirav Shah

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