Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) is opposed to Democrat Maine U.S. Senate potential candidate Nirav Shah, who is hoping to replace scandal-ridden Graham Platner after he withdrew from the race.
On Thursday Duckworth pointed to Shah’s handing of a deadly disease outbreak that affected veterans when he was leader of the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Hill reported Friday.
“Maine deserves better than someone who put his public image before the safety of our Veterans. 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,” Duckworth wrote in a social media post:
Duckworth urged Shah to step down in 2018 “following investigations into an outbreak at the Illinois Veterans’ Home that killed at least 13 veterans and sickened dozens more,” the outlet said.
Platner suspended his campaign on Wednesday as Democrats had begun withdrawing their support in light of sexual assault allegations, according to Breitbart News.
The outlet reported Friday that Platner formally withdrew from Maine’s Senate primary, leaving with a few choice words as Democrats scrambled to find a replacement before the midterm elections.
He ended his statement with “F*ck ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”
In a social media post on Monday, Duckworth said “The people of Maine deserve a leader of integrity, and there is simply no room in the Senate or our party for allegations as disturbing as this. Graham Platner must withdraw.”
Meanwhile, Shah is one of several Democrats hoping to replace Platner and run against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who a recent poll found was narrowly leading his possible replacements, according to Breitbart News.
“Shah addressed the criticism over his handling of the outbreak under his leadership, saying during his gubernatorial campaign earlier this year that it was a ‘distraction’ and ‘dirty politics,’” the Hill article said. “While he admitted he made some mistakes, he said he was following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention playbook.”
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