Senators Durbin and Duckworth Oppose Nirav Shah’s Maine Senate Bid Over 2015 Legionnaires Outbreak

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have publicly opposed Nirav Shah’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in Maine. Both senators cite Shah’s tenure as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) during a 2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at a veterans’ home in Quincy, Illinois, which resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen veterans. Their statements were made as Shah announced his intention to replace former Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner.

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Shah led IDPH from 2015 until 2019. In 2015 an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease—a severe form of pneumonia—occurred at the Quincy veterans’ home. An investigation later concluded that Shah failed to address conditions that allowed the bacteria to spread, leading to the loss of fourteen veterans’ lives. In 2018, Duckworth called for Shah’s removal after the investigation revealed that former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Shah had not acted on warnings about the outbreak. After leaving IDPH, Shah directed the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2020-2023), became a visible figure in Maine’s COVID-19 response, and later served as principal deputy director of the CDC under the Biden administration.

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Durbin described Shah’s handling of the outbreak as a “mess” that cost veterans their lives and expressed disbelief that Shah now seeks a Senate seat. Duckworth asserted that Maine “deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans,” reiterating her 2018 call for Shah’s resignation. Shah has acknowledged that he did not effectively communicate the home’s problems to the public but has not withdrawn his candidacy.

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During Shah’s earlier gubernatorial campaign, former Maine Attorney General James Tierney and Illinois state Sen. Cristina Castro convened a virtual news conference to criticize Shah’s management of the 2015 outbreak. Their remarks reinforced the concerns raised by Durbin and Duckworth and added regional political pressure against Shah’s Senate aspirations.

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• “He made a mess of things involving a veterans’ home in Quincy, Illinois,” — Sen. Dick Durbin

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• “Fourteen veterans lost their lives. … To think he’s now aspiring to be the United States senator from Maine, it’s hard to imagine.” — Sen. Dick Durbin

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

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