PORTLAND, Maine (WGME) — Dr. Nirav Shah is on the campaign trail for governor.
Sunday marked his first town hall, as well as a food drive in Portland.
The event was a chance for members of the public to hear directly from Shah, ask questions, and express their biggest concerns.
All items collected in the food drive will go towards the Midcoast Hunger Prevention.
Shah says addressing food insecurity is a top priority for his campaign.
It should not be the case in 2025 that any child in the United States, let alone in Maine, goes through a week without all the calories they need. That, to me, constitutes an emergency. Thus, one of the reasons why it’s the right thing to do to tap into the rainy day fund,” Shah said.
Shah is running as a Democrat.
He says Maine’s rainy day fund would support his initiative to address hunger.
Republican candidate Jonathan Bush agrees food insecurity is a primary concern, but he also emphasizes the state of the state and national economies.
We are always talking about how are we going to divide up the pie more equitably and not talking about making more pie. While, of course, I’ll lean on these incredible community partners when I’m governor, and of course, when things go down badly, which they will, we will be there for one another,” Bush said.
There are several candidates running for governor.
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For the Democrats, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Jason Cherry, former Senate President Troy Jackson, Angus King III, Kenneth Pinet, and former Speaker of the Maine House Hannah Pingree are all running alongside Shah.