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Nirav Shah D

Ran for Governor in 2026

June 9 primary for Governor (Democratic): lost, 58,606 votes (27% of first choices)

Findings

Prompts to look closer at the public records, each with the rule and the law it rests on. None is a finding of wrongdoing. All findings

Worth a look Ethics Commission

Before the Ethics Commission (2026-06-09): Request from Nirav Shah Campaign to Investigate Text Messages

The campaign of Nirav Shah for Governor is requesting that the Ethics Commission investigate text messages received on June 6, 2026 urging support for Hannah Pingree, Troy Jackson, and Shenna Bellows in the Democratic primary election. The text messages do not contain a statement of who paid for them. Additional Material - Response from VoteRise PAC The motion: “To find the communications from VoteRise violated the attribution requirement and to access a $100 civil penalty.” Vote: 4-0.

What to check

What the Commission decided, in the motion and the minutes
A complaint is an allegation, not a finding

The Commission's meeting of 2026-06-09 The staff memo

Rule: A complaint or other matter before the Ethics Commission

“The commission shall review the application and shall make the investigation if the reasons stated for the request show sufficient grounds for believing that a violation may have occurred.”21-A MRSA §1003(2) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works

Campaign money: Governor · Traditionally financed

$1,406,859raised to date (the Commission's list, October 17, 2026); $1,438,248 spent

$1,394,987itemized in 2025 and 2026, 7,152 contributions

$519,863raised before 2026 (their 2025 reports)

$6,234from the candidate (incl. loans)

$119,370cash on hand on July 14, 2026 (42 Day Post Primary Report)

$105,087debts and loans owed, as of that report

Where their contributions come from

99%

IndividualsBusinessesTrade, professional and issue groupsLabor unionsTribal nationsPolitical partiesOther candidates and officeholders

Compare with all 2026 candidates →

How it was spent: $1,217,844

TV and cable$544,205

Staff and consultants$263,908

Not coded$171,188

Mail house$75,043

Other$45,111

Bank and other fees$32,692

Professional services$15,066

Social media and online ads$15,000

Office and utilities$13,424

Phone banks, robocalls, texts$9,999

Largest payees: Buying Time $399,820 TV and cable · Buying Time LLC $138,385 TV and cable · Kayla Van Wieringen $105,177 Staff and consultants · Blue Wall Mail $79,380 Mail house · Gusto $73,053 Other · GW Strategies LLC $44,000 Staff and consultants · Kira Leinonen $39,765 Staff and consultants · Alexa Terry $28,355 Staff and consultants

Payments in 2026, by the Ethics Commission's expenditure codes.

Top contributors	Type	Total
Nirav Shah teacher education · Colby College · Brunswick	The candidate	$154,733.53
Kara Palamountain Teacher Education · Northwestern University · Brunswick	Person	$24,792.36
Pankil Doshi General Business · 1823 Partners · Manhattan	Person	$8,300
Dee Karnofsky general business · President · Hulls Cove	Person	$5,100
Karen Reiche office and administrative occupations · Landvest · Freeport	Person	$4,450
Eliza Lee retired · Retired · CUMBERLAND	Person	$4,425.26
David Shaw general business · Black Point · SCARBOROUGH	Person	$4,350
Craig Snapp not currently employed · Not Employed · BRUNSWICK	Person	$4,250
Thomas Nuckton healthcare medical · Self · San Francisco	Person	$4,225
Kathryn Palamountain Not Currently Employed · Seyfarth Shaw · Houston	Person	$4,186.61
Bilal Ahmad healthcare medical · Pirouettedx · Portland	Person	$4,150
Ashish Shahhikant Patel Self Employed · Carlisle	Person	$4,150
Matthew Silver Not Currently Employed · Newton	Person	$4,150
Dana Street Self · Yarmouth	Person	$4,150
Gila Bronner Bronner Group Llc · Highland Park	Person	$4,150

Shah, Nirav on the Ethics Commission's campaign finance search. Itemized transactions: 2026 from the Commission's files as posted October 17, 2026, and 2025 from the campaign's own reports.

Outside spending for and against them

$639,755spent supporting them

$278,059spent opposing them

Spender		Amount
314 Action Victory Fund - Maine 3 expenditures	for	$639,755
Working Families Party PAC 14 expenditures	against	$278,059

Independent expenditures reported to the Ethics Commission in 2026. The candidate doesn't control them.

Their donors also gave to

Their largest donors who also funded other 2026 candidates.

Donor	To them	Candidates funded
David Shaw General Business, Black Point · Scarborough	$4,350	2
Dana Street Restauranteur, Self · Yarmouth	$4,150	2
Maury Bohan not currently employed, Not Employed · Freeport	$4,150	3
Jordan Wood Not Currently Employed, Not Employed · Round Pond	$4,150	7
Jake Lipsett Other, Mothership Strategies · Round Pond	$4,150	5
Erik Van Der Kaay not currently employed, Not Employed · Kennebunk	$4,075	2
Corin Swift attorney legal, Sidley Austin Llp · Cape Elizabeth	$3,122	3
Darcy Poor Other, Self · Portland	$2,575	4
Diane Garthwaite not currently employed, Not Currently Employed · Scarborough	$2,500	2
Scott Kane not currently employed, Not Employed · Cape Elizabeth	$2,175	2
Robert Stoddard not currently employed, Self · Portland	$2,111	3
Donald Auten not currently employed, Not Currently Employed · Topsham	$2,100	2
Maureen Giuffre Not Currently Employed, Not Employed · Swans Island	$2,100	2
Dana Peirce not currently employed, Not Currently Employed · Yarmouth	$2,075	2
Sean Findlen General Business, UNUM · Saco	$2,075	2