Democratic challenger to Angus King qualifies for Maine’s 2024 ballot

An Old Town native who ran for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District more than two decades ago has qualified to run as a Democrat against U.S. Sen. Angus King in the 2024 election.

David Costello, a 63-year-old who now lives in Brunswick, qualified for the June 11 primary ballot on Tuesday by submitting more than the required 2,000 signatures from registered Democratic voters, according to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office.

It means that King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and is generally supported by the party establishment here, is slated to face challengers on his left and right in the November election. Former Maine Republican Party Chair Demi Kouzounas is the only member of her party running for the seat so far. Costello is the first party candidate to qualify.

King, a former two-term governor, exited political retirement in 2012 to run for the seat vacated by former Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. He easily won that race as well as a 2018 reelection in which state Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, was the runner-up. King, 79, will be heavily favored again this year in his run for what will likely be a third and final term.

The Democrats on the last two ballots struggled to also-ran performances. Twelve years ago, King’s entry neutralized a party primary won by Cynthia Dill, then a state lawmaker from Cape Elizabeth. She got less than 12 percent of votes during the general election, while 2018 Democratic challenger Zak Ringelstein got just over 10 percent against King and Brakey.

Costello ran in a six-way Democratic primary for Maine’s 2nd District in 2002 that was won by Mike Michaud, who went on to hold the seat for 12 years. Costello got just under 5 percent of votes in that primary and went on to jobs for the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland.

He is running on a “reform agenda” that includes progressive ideas that have gotten little traction in Congress. They include abolishing the Electoral College, restructuring the Senate to be more in line with state population sizes and expanding the House of Representatives.

Costello backs gun control measures and tribal sovereignty, the latter of which could be a contrast with King, who aligned with Gov. Janet Mills against a major rights expansion.

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