David Costello

Democrat

Environmental policy consultant; former Deputy Secretary, Maryland Dept. of the Environment; 2024 Maine Senate Democratic nominee

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

PIP Political Integrity Pledge · Political Integrity PAC

No Corporate PAC Money
Stock Trading Ban
Lobbying Ban for Former Members
Overturn Citizens United

Primary: June 9, 2026 Last updated 2026-05-01

46.9%

+1 from Political Integrity Pledge

Top positive drivers

T4 Signed For Our Freedom Amendment pledge with American Promise (Jan 22, 2024); supports overturning Citizens United, banning dark campaign money, and public financing of federal legislative campaigns. FEC: $0 PAC funds. Backed by 5+ orgs (American Promise, Common Cause, Public Citizen, ECU). 3.13/4
T6 Detailed issue statements and press releases on website (Gaza, public safety, climate, tribal, Ukraine, healthcare); 2024 op-ed in Piscataquis Observer; explicit reasoning rather than slogans. 3.13/4
T11 Medicare for All "incorporating most existing government health care programs including Medicaid"; cites US pays "more than twice what economic competitors pay" and WHO ranking 37th. Drug-price negotiation supported. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4

Top negative drivers

T2 No proactive financial disclosure beyond legal minimums; no tax returns released. 0/4
T3 No congressional stock-trading ban or blind-trust position documented in platform. 0/4
T12 LIHEAP and homebuyer tax credits address cost relief, not housing-cost transparency. No zoning transparency, developer disclosure, or beneficial-ownership mechanism. 0/4

View all 25 criteria

T1 Stated commitment to "as many town hall meetings and listening sessions as is practicable"; participated in 2024 candidate forums; 2026 forum schedule before failing to qualify for one debate. 2.25/4
T2 No proactive financial disclosure beyond legal minimums; no tax returns released. 0/4
T3 No congressional stock-trading ban or blind-trust position documented in platform. 0/4
T4 Signed For Our Freedom Amendment pledge with American Promise (Jan 22, 2024); supports overturning Citizens United, banning dark campaign money, and public financing of federal legislative campaigns. FEC: $0 PAC funds. Backed by 5+ orgs (American Promise, Common Cause, Public Citizen, ECU). 3.13/4
T5 FEC filings public; ~76% of 2026 cycle receipts are candidate self-loans ($110K loaned, $80K repaid). No proactive donor breakdown or transparency tools beyond required FEC disclosure. 1.25/4
T6 Detailed issue statements and press releases on website (Gaza, public safety, climate, tribal, Ukraine, healthcare); 2024 op-ed in Piscataquis Observer; explicit reasoning rather than slogans. 3.13/4
T7 Three televised general-election debates 2024 (NewsCenterMaine, Voice of the Voter, Bowdoin); Maine Calling interview; 207 candidate profile; WABI; multiple 2026 forums and Maine Public Your Vote 2026 profile. Failed to qualify for May 18 WGME/BDN forum due to low polling. 2.88/4
T8 Signed For Our Freedom Amendment pledge; American Promise candidate listing. No documented questionnaire portfolio across multiple issue scorecards. 2.25/4
T9 Active issue-statement page; press releases on Gaza, climate, gun safety, tribal issues; social media presence on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn. Substantive policy content over fundraising. 2.88/4
T10 Policy-wonky tone but accessible language with personal frames (Pell Grant beneficiary, working-class roots, family strike history). English-only. Cites WHO ranking, specific Maine bills, dollar figures. 2.88/4
T11 Medicare for All "incorporating most existing government health care programs including Medicaid"; cites US pays "more than twice what economic competitors pay" and WHO ranking 37th. Drug-price negotiation supported. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
T12 LIHEAP and homebuyer tax credits address cost relief, not housing-cost transparency. No zoning transparency, developer disclosure, or beneficial-ownership mechanism. 0/4
T13 No specific consumer cost transparency mechanism across utilities, telecom, banking, or trade documented. 0/4
T14 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission proposal implies spending visibility. No specific spending dashboard, earmark disclosure, or open-data mechanism named. 2.25/4
T15 No AI transparency, disclosure requirements, or algorithmic audit positions documented. 0/4
T16 Public safety platform focuses on gun policy and community policing; no specific use-of-force reporting, misconduct database, body-camera, or oversight-board mechanism. 0/4
T17 Comprehensive immigration reform "like that proposed by the bipartisan gang of eight"; expanded judicial proceedings and oversight; merit-based skilled-worker visas; additional work permits for shortage industries. 2.88/4
T18 Personal Pell Grant story; no specific per-pupil disclosure, charter reporting, or outcome-dashboard mechanism. 0/4
T19 For Our Freedom Amendment to overturn Citizens United; abolish the Electoral College; end gerrymandering; end the Senate filibuster; public financing of federal elections; streamlined amendment process. Comprehensive package backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
T20 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission; 24-year congressional term limits; federal-judge term limits and retirement-age requirements. Comprehensive accountability framework. 2.88/4
T21 Multiple media interviews (Maine Public, BDN, NewsCenterMaine, WABI, Press Herald, Piscataquis Observer, Substack); responsive to forum requests where invited. 2.88/4
T22 Cites WHO healthcare ranking, specific Maine LDs (1350, 437, 528, 1682), and verifiable Maryland tenure. Default 2/4 baseline plus cross-checked claims push higher. No false claims surfaced. 3.13/4
T23 No whistleblower protection, IG independence, or retaliation protection positions documented. 0/4
T24 No FOIA reform, classification reform, or proactive open-data positions documented. 0/4
T25 For Our Freedom Amendment pledge signed; FEC-verified $0 PAC; NRCM testimony on multiple Maine clean-energy bills; consistent platform across 2024 and 2026 cycles. 3+ verifiable platform-action matches; no documented contradictions. 3.13/4

61.8%

Top positive drivers

E13 NRCM testimony in support of LD 1350 (80% renewable electricity by 2030), LD 437, LD 528, LD 1682; in opposition to LD 101 (offshore wind ban); platform supports clean energy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, smarter land-use regs, greener appliance and building standards. Adopted into Maine state legislation; backed by 5+ orgs (NRCM, Sierra Club, ELM, ACEEE). 3.75/4
E2 Cites WHO ranking, specific Maine LDs, USAID 3000+ project claim; science-based national climate plan; references MD MDE budget figures. Career as evidence-based policy implementer. 3.13/4
E3 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission; MD Smart Growth Office and Governor’s Delivery Unit prior roles documented. Performance evaluation built into proposal. 3.13/4

Top negative drivers

E4 No documented community resource page, mutual aid hub, community event series, or voter registration drive offered through the campaign. 0/4
E5 No specific government IT modernization, digital services, or legacy-replacement positions documented. 0/4
E15 General "education, job skills, and other resources" framing; no specific teacher investment, accountability, early childhood, or evidence-based curriculum mechanism named. 1/4

View all 25 criteria

E1 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission proposal includes evaluation. No sunset clauses, benchmarks, or named outcome triggers in specific proposals. 2.25/4
E2 Cites WHO ranking, specific Maine LDs, USAID 3000+ project claim; science-based national climate plan; references MD MDE budget figures. Career as evidence-based policy implementer. 3.13/4
E3 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission; MD Smart Growth Office and Governor’s Delivery Unit prior roles documented. Performance evaluation built into proposal. 3.13/4
E4 No documented community resource page, mutual aid hub, community event series, or voter registration drive offered through the campaign. 0/4
E5 No specific government IT modernization, digital services, or legacy-replacement positions documented. 0/4
E6 FEC compliance maintained; ran the 2024 cycle through to the general election (10.83% finish behind King and Kouzounas). 2026 cycle: ~76% of receipts from candidate self-loans ($110K), failed to qualify for May 18 WGME/BDN forum. 2.25/4
E7 NRCM testimony coordinated with Maine clean-energy coalition; MD interagency work as Acting Secretary and at Smart Growth Office; USAID multilateral coordination across Cambodia, Haiti, Balkans. 3.13/4
E8 Career implementer: MD MDE Deputy Secretary (1000+ employees, $380M budget), Governor’s Delivery Unit, Smart Growth Office. References specific Maine bills as implementation vehicles. Names agency authorities and pathways. 3.13/4
E9 MD MDE Deputy Secretary 2011–2015 with documented agency role; Acting Secretary late 2014/early 2015; USAID 3000+ projects (self-reported); NRCM testimony on multiple Maine bills (corroborated by NRCM site). Multiple corroborated achievements. 3.13/4
E10 End the Senate filibuster; 24-year congressional term limits; federal-judge term limits; streamlined amendment process; Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission. Comprehensive process reform. 3.13/4
E11 M4A "building on the existing Medicare program and incorporating most existing government health care programs including Medicaid"; admin simplification implied via single-payer; drug-price negotiation. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
E12 First-time homebuyer tax credits and grants; LIHEAP expansion. Demand-side mechanisms named. No supply-side zoning reform, public housing, LIHTC reform, or Housing First mechanism. 2.25/4
E13 NRCM testimony in support of LD 1350 (80% renewable electricity by 2030), LD 437, LD 528, LD 1682; in opposition to LD 101 (offshore wind ban); platform supports clean energy, clean transportation, energy efficiency, smarter land-use regs, greener appliance and building standards. Adopted into Maine state legislation; backed by 5+ orgs (NRCM, Sierra Club, ELM, ACEEE). 3.75/4
E14 Comprehensive immigration reform (gang-of-eight framework); expanded judicial proceedings/oversight to address backlogs; merit-based skilled-worker visas; additional work permits. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
E15 General "education, job skills, and other resources" framing; no specific teacher investment, accountability, early childhood, or evidence-based curriculum mechanism named. 1/4
E16 Mental health services expansion; community policing; safe storage; waiting periods; universal background checks; assault-weapons sales ban. Multiple evidence-based mechanisms named. 2.88/4
E17 General "education, job skills, and other resources to thrive" framing; no specific apprenticeship, CTE, WIOA reform, or sector partnership mechanism named. 1/4
E18 MD Governor’s Delivery Unit prior role is documented efficiency work; Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission proposed. No specific GAO/IG citation or quantified savings. 2.50/4
E19 Climate plan implies infrastructure delivery; no specific permitting reform, NEPA modernization, or delivery timeline mechanism named. 1/4
E20 Strengthen alliances (NATO/EU, Japan, India, S. Korea, Philippines); diplomacy-first via two-state Israel-Palestine framework; pause offensive weapons transfers to Israel until conditions met; continued Ukraine aid. Specific alliances and conflicts named. 2.88/4
E21 Performance Commission implies speed; no specific government processing time targets or backlog reduction proposal documented. 1/4
E22 Roll back Trump-era tax cuts on wealthy and corporations; eliminate FICA payroll-tax cap; sovereign wealth fund proposal to fund Social Security; revenue increases tied to specific spending priorities (M4A, SS expansion). 3.13/4
E23 Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission would act on findings. No specific GAO/IG report cited. 2.25/4
E24 M4A to replace fragmented system; end the filibuster to enable Roe codification; abolish Electoral College; judicial term limits to replace lifetime appointments. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
E25 MD MDE Deputy Secretary supervised 1000+ employees and $380M budget; Acting Secretary briefly; Independent Government Accountability and Performance Commission proposal addresses oversight framework. 3.13/4

48%

Top positive drivers

A2 Cites WHO healthcare ranking, MD MDE budget ($380M, 1000+ employees), Maine LD numbers, USAID project counts. MD prior-role data work documented. 3.13/4
A7 Roll back Trump tax cuts and raise revenue from wealthy to fund M4A, Social Security expansion, and educational investment. Source and destination quantified. Backed by tax-justice orgs. 3.13/4
A11 M4A; build on Medicare; drug-price negotiation; defend Medicaid and ACA as fallback; codify Roe and women’s health funding. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4

Top negative drivers

A3 No documented constituent service offering, resource guide, mutual aid hub, or community-event series through the campaign. 0/4
A4 No antitrust enforcement, merger challenge, or industry-concentration position documented. 0/4
A6 No documented response to a specific cost spike event during the campaign. 0/4

View all 25 criteria

A1 "Wealth gap in the United States that we need to address"; mentions cost areas at high level. National framing rather than Maine-local cost specifics. 2.25/4
A2 Cites WHO healthcare ranking, MD MDE budget ($380M, 1000+ employees), Maine LD numbers, USAID project counts. MD prior-role data work documented. 3.13/4
A3 No documented constituent service offering, resource guide, mutual aid hub, or community-event series through the campaign. 0/4
A4 No antitrust enforcement, merger challenge, or industry-concentration position documented. 0/4
A5 Cites US pays "more than twice" for healthcare; Pell Grant personal frame. Household-level framing present but limited quantification. 2.25/4
A6 No documented response to a specific cost spike event during the campaign. 0/4
A7 Roll back Trump tax cuts and raise revenue from wealthy to fund M4A, Social Security expansion, and educational investment. Source and destination quantified. Backed by tax-justice orgs. 3.13/4
A8 No specific corporate cost accountability mechanism (oversight hearings, investigations, named companies) documented. 0/4
A9 Working-class roots emphasized (free-lunch kid, family-strike history, Pell Grant). National rather than household-level framing of policy proposals. 2.25/4
A10 M4A, SS expansion via FICA cap elimination, LIHEAP expansion, first-time homebuyer credits, climate as cost reduction. Multiple affordability proposals across cost areas. 2.88/4
A11 M4A; build on Medicare; drug-price negotiation; defend Medicaid and ACA as fallback; codify Roe and women’s health funding. M4A backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
A12 First-time homebuyer tax credits and grants; LIHEAP expansion specific to Maine heating oil. No supply-side mechanism. 2.25/4
A13 Personal Pell Grant story; no specific commitment to expand Pell, cancel student debt, or fund universal pre-K. 1/4
A14 Roll back Trump tax cuts on wealthy and corporations; eliminate FICA payroll-tax cap; revenue tied to working-family programs. Specific provisions backed by tax-justice orgs. 3.13/4
A15 No specific consumer protection mechanism (CFPB, junk fee bans, predatory lending, credit card reform) documented. 0/4
A16 No specific minimum wage, PRO Act, overtime, or equal pay position documented. 0/4
A17 No specific food, grocery, SNAP, supply-chain, or school-meals position documented. 0/4
A18 LIHEAP expansion explicitly framed for Maine heating-oil families; clean energy as cost reduction (LD 1350 80% renewable by 2030); rate reform implied via climate plan. Backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
A19 No specific transit investment, gas relief, EV incentive, or fare reform position documented. 0/4
A20 M4A + SS expansion + climate cost reduction + LIHEAP + first-time homebuyer credits as integrated affordability strategy. Coherent connection between proposals. 2.88/4
A21 For Our Freedom Amendment pledge consistent with anti-corruption rhetoric; FEC-verified $0 PAC; NRCM testimony consistent with climate platform; 2024 platform consistent with 2026 platform. 3+ matches. 3.13/4
A22 Defends Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security; eliminate FICA cap explicitly to fund SS expansion; M4A "incorporating most existing government health care programs including Medicaid." Specific defense plus expansion mechanism. 3.13/4
A23 M4A universal; SS expansion targeted at low-income retirees; Medicaid defense; LIHEAP for low-income families. Universal design backed by 5+ orgs. 3.13/4
A24 Universal M4A; broad SS expansion; LIHEAP; homebuyer credits; assault-weapons ban; ERA ratification. Broad demographic reach. 3.13/4
A25 American Promise (For Our Freedom Amendment) endorsement match. No labor, consumer, housing, or healthcare scorecard ratings or other endorsements identified. 2.25/4

Scored from publicly available information. Research in progress.

Published Platform

Healthcare — Medicare for All building on existing Medicare; drug-price negotiation; defend Medicaid and ACA; codify Roe v. Wade.
Climate & Energy — Aggressive science-based national climate action plan; LIHEAP expansion for Maine heating oil; supports offshore wind (LD 101 opposition); 80% renewable electricity by 2030 (LD 1350).
Democracy — For Our Freedom Amendment to overturn Citizens United (signed Jan 22, 2024); end the Senate filibuster; abolish the Electoral College; 24-year congressional term limits; federal-judge term limits.
Tax & Social Security — Roll back Trump tax cuts on wealthy and corporations; eliminate FICA payroll-tax cap to expand Social Security; sovereign wealth fund proposal.
Public Safety — Assault-weapons sales ban; universal background checks; safe storage; waiting periods; expanded mental health services.
Foreign Policy — Pause offensive weapons transfers to Israel until cease-fire and humanitarian conditions met; two-state solution; continued Ukraine aid; strengthen NATO/EU and Indo-Pacific alliances.
Immigration — Comprehensive reform on the bipartisan gang-of-eight framework; path to citizenship; protections for Dreamers; expanded judicial oversight.

Non-Incumbent · Public Record

Scored on publicly available information only — platform statements, prior office, news coverage. Same criteria as the Questionnaire pathway, without direct candidate input.

Scoring Summary

Axis	Base	Pledge Bonus	Final
Transparency	46.9%	+1	47.9%
Efficiency	61.8%	—	61.8%
Affordability	48%	—	48%
Overall TEA	Average of the three axes		52.2%

Read the full methodology →

Financial Breakdown

Financial detail — individual giving, PAC contributions, transfers, and personal finances — will appear here when FEC data ingestion ships. This tab is reserved so the layout stays consistent when the feature launches.