David Costello
David Costello is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine. His campaign says he has more than 30 years of senior-level experience in state, local, federal, and nonprofit work, including service in Maine, Maryland, and overseas with USAID. He says he is running on democracy, health care, climate, housing, labor, civil rights, and foreign policy issues.
Positions on Key Issues
| Issue | Stance | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | Costello supports expanding Medicare to include dental and vision coverage, improving ACA coverage for people who do not enroll in Medicare, increasing funding for substance use disorder and mental health services, and strengthening Social Security and retirement security. | ● high | |
| Economy | Costello supports raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15 to $17 per hour, backing unions, expanding the EITC, increasing infrastructure and R&D investment, expanding small business loans and tax credits, and raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals to fund public priorities. | ● high | |
| Abortion & Reproductive Health | Costello says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade and increasing funding for reproductive health services, including Planned Parenthood, as part of protecting women's reproductive rights. | ● high | |
| Immigration | Costello supports comprehensive immigration reform that secures borders, facilitates legal immigration, and addresses worker shortages. He also says immigration policy should be handled without anti-immigrant enforcement tactics. | ● high | |
| Firearms & Second Amendment | Costello says he supports common-sense gun safety laws and regulations, including measures to address related mental health issues, while saying he would not deny law-abiding citizens the right to own guns. | ● high | |
| Foreign Policy | Costello supports a more active foreign policy centered on diplomacy, alliances, updated arms control, stronger foreign aid agencies, fair trade, and international engagement. He also says he would back comprehensive immigration reforms globally and efforts to strengthen national security. | ● high | |
| Civil Rights & Equality | Costello supports civil rights protections against discrimination and says Mainers should have the right to make their own decisions about reproductive health. His campaign also links civil rights with public safety measures and support for the Equal Rights Amendment. | ● high | |
| Climate/Energy | Costello supports aggressive climate action, including emissions limits, expanded clean energy and efficiency, stronger air and water protections, conservation, and shifting subsidies toward rural development and clean energy initiatives. | ● high | |
| Education | Costello supports strong K-12 funding, affordable higher education, and expanded vocational and workforce training to help Mainers gain job skills and access better-paying work. | ● high | |
| Election Policy | Costello supports strengthening democracy through campaign finance reform, reducing gerrymandering, protecting voting rights, and making elections more secure and accessible. | ● high | |
| Local Issues | Costello says Maine needs more affordable housing, stronger education and job-skills training, and investments in local infrastructure and community services to help residents thrive. | ● high | |
| Tech & AI | No public position found. | ○ low | No sources |
Healthcare
● highCostello supports expanding Medicare to include dental and vision coverage, improving ACA coverage for people who do not enroll in Medicare, increasing funding for substance use disorder and mental health services, and strengthening Social Security and retirement security.
Economy
● highCostello supports raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15 to $17 per hour, backing unions, expanding the EITC, increasing infrastructure and R&D investment, expanding small business loans and tax credits, and raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals to fund public priorities.
Abortion & Reproductive Health
● highCostello says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade and increasing funding for reproductive health services, including Planned Parenthood, as part of protecting women's reproductive rights.
Immigration
● highCostello supports comprehensive immigration reform that secures borders, facilitates legal immigration, and addresses worker shortages. He also says immigration policy should be handled without anti-immigrant enforcement tactics.
Firearms & Second Amendment
● highCostello says he supports common-sense gun safety laws and regulations, including measures to address related mental health issues, while saying he would not deny law-abiding citizens the right to own guns.
Foreign Policy
● highCostello supports a more active foreign policy centered on diplomacy, alliances, updated arms control, stronger foreign aid agencies, fair trade, and international engagement. He also says he would back comprehensive immigration reforms globally and efforts to strengthen national security.
Civil Rights & Equality
● highCostello supports civil rights protections against discrimination and says Mainers should have the right to make their own decisions about reproductive health. His campaign also links civil rights with public safety measures and support for the Equal Rights Amendment.
Climate/Energy
● highCostello supports aggressive climate action, including emissions limits, expanded clean energy and efficiency, stronger air and water protections, conservation, and shifting subsidies toward rural development and clean energy initiatives.
Education
● highCostello supports strong K-12 funding, affordable higher education, and expanded vocational and workforce training to help Mainers gain job skills and access better-paying work.
Election Policy
● highCostello supports strengthening democracy through campaign finance reform, reducing gerrymandering, protecting voting rights, and making elections more secure and accessible.
Local Issues
● highCostello says Maine needs more affordable housing, stronger education and job-skills training, and investments in local infrastructure and community services to help residents thrive.
Tech & AI
○ lowNo public position found.
No sources available
Background
Career History
Running in Maine's 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Helped manage the agency's 1,000+ employees, programs, and $380 million annual budget.
Managed cross-agency efforts on jobs, crime reduction, workforce development, education, substance abuse treatment, environmental protection, clean energy, and sustainable development.
Helped develop and implement elections, campaign finance, and motor vehicle administration and safety reforms.
Worked overseas on political, humanitarian, and economic crises in Cambodia, Haiti, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania.
Directed collaborative efforts to improve schools and address the needs of at-risk children, youth, families, and communities.
Education
Top Donors
Public FEC disclosures show David Costello’s 2026 Senate committee had raised about $69.1K in total receipts as of the 2001–2002 FEC page for a prior House run, but the current 2026 Senate FEC page was not fully extractable in the available text. I found no OpenSecrets candidate profile or detailed industry breakdown in the retrieved sources, so the donor mix cannot be characterized beyond the FEC committee totals and the fact that his current Senate committee exists. Source data for the current race is available on FEC and his campaign site, but a full sector-by-sector donor profile was not accessible from the pages retrieved.
Sources
Voting Record
No public legislative voting record. No prior elected or executive office found in the retrieved sources; the available biographical material describes him as a former education and international assistance official rather than a legislator. Comparable governing evidence is limited to his public policy statements and campaign platform rather than recorded votes.
Sources
Data Analysis Information
Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated 5/17/2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.