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David Costello of Brunswick is a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

While many, including most in the press, have essentially declared Maine’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary over, there’s still time for voters to consider whether the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee is the best person to take on Sen. Susan Collins in November. Perceptions of political viability can, and often do, change overnight.

I believe that my personal story, education, and government experience contrasts more sharply with that of Sen. Collins than does Graham Platner’s. My lived experience is rooted in many of the same challenges working-class Mainers face every day, and my extensive government service is broader, deeper and more hands-on than Sen. Collins’. Moreover, I believe that my experiences equip me with the kind of knowledge and perspective sorely needed in Washington today.

I was born in Bangor and raised in Old Town by my mother and mill-working grandparents. My father, an Army veteran and labor organizer, died at the age of 31 due to hazardous working conditions he faced as a teenager. I know what it’s like to have to hustle to pay bills, compile years of debt and go long periods without health insurance and healthcare.

Like many in Maine, I began working at an early age and worked my way through the University of Maine, George Washington University and the London School of Economics. And I subsequently served for more than 30 years in senior-level government and non-governmental organization positions, both in the United States and abroad.

These positions included serving as a top aide to Maine’s secretary of state, the mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland; as a deputy and acting secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment; and as a county program manager and regional team leader for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These positions involved implementing and managing, not simply legislating or talking about, complex multimillion-dollar programs and operations.

These programs and operations included working closely with the U.S. Army, State Department, United Nations and foreign aid organizations overseas — and various state and local government agencies, businesses and non-governmental organizations in Maine, Maryland and elsewhere.

They are programs and operations that resulted in election and motor vehicle safety reforms in Maine; improved schools and family assistance programs in Baltimore; the implementation of ambitious job creation, education, healthcare, crime reduction and environmental protection programs in Maryland; and the completion of more than 3,500 peace and community-building projects in conflict-torn Cambodia, Haiti, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia.

I believe experience matters, but so too does my decades-long commitment to substantially reforming our nation’s governing policies, practices, and institutions and eliminating the excessive and corrupting influence that money, wealth and disinformation have over our politics and government. Like many Democrats, I am fully committed to enacting far-reaching legislative and constitutional reforms, among them: Medicare for All; universal childcare; expanded Social Security benefits; a national minimum living wage; increased taxes on the wealthy; a ban on gerrymandering; federal clean elections financing; comprehensive immigration reform; judicial and legislative term limits; codification of Roe v. Wade; an assault weapons ban; and an aggressive national climate action plan.

Reforms designed to not only salvage our democracy, but to also better protect our rights and freedoms and to enable us to finally tackle such pressing challenges as: unaffordable housing and healthcare; insufficient retirement security; economic inequality; gun violence; shoddy infrastructure; and climate change. Because only then are we likely to achieve the more perfect union envisioned by our most thoughtful founders and forebears.

But something about it felt right. When the former bed-and-breakfast and historic estate in Monmouth lingered on the market, and its price dropped, curiosity turned into a walk-through, and the walk-through into something more.

“It was built super well, built to last,” Sarah says. “The spirit of the place is amazing. We just kind of fell in love with it.”

Now, after months of renovation, the Morrills are preparing to open Waters Run Bed and Breakfast this July — a 12-room property (including newly built cabins) that blends farmhouse charm with what Sarah describes as “rustic luxury,” and a broader mission: inviting travelers to experience a different side of Maine.

Hospitality wasn’t an obvious next step. But travel has always been a big part of family life for Sarah, Chase and their four kids.

“We’re inspired by travel,” Sarah says. “And having a place where we could now welcome people in their own travels felt full circle.”

Unlike their television work, which often focuses on seasonal camps and cabins, this project required a deeper, more comprehensive transformation. The existing structure was sound, but time had left its mark.

“Not a single room in the existing structure has really been totally untouched,” Sarah says.

The updates range from behind-the-scenes essentials — electrical and plumbing — to reimagined layouts that prioritize comfort, like expanding bathrooms and reworking awkward room footprints.

They also added five new guest rooms between three standalone cabins and converted a former caretaker’s apartment into a commercial kitchen, allowing for expanded dining and future events.

Even as they modernized the property, the Morrills were careful not to erase its character.

“I think we tried to preserve every last thing that we could,” Sarah says.

That includes original fireplaces (now decorative), a vintage kitchen believed to have come from a Sears catalog, and even long-hidden elements of the landscape. Beneath overgrowth, they uncovered stone pathways and garden beds they plan to restore.

The philosophy aligns with the ethos fans have come to expect: save what you can, reuse what you can’t, and find new purpose for the rest.

Local sourcing plays a central role. Throughout the property, guests will find work from Maine artisans and craftspeople — a deliberate choice that reflects both aesthetics and values.

“It’s been really fun,” she says. “We’ve met a lot of people who make cool stuff that looks like it just belongs in our bed and breakfast.”

When guests arrive, the Morrills hope the guests feel an immediate connection when walking through the doors.

“You finally get there, and you’re like, ‘Yeah, this is where we were supposed to go,’” she says.

Breakfast, prepared by an in-house chef, will lean heavily on local ingredients like eggs, meats, cheeses, and produce sourced from nearby farms, often within a 10-mile radius with a rotating menu that reflects the region.

On the property, guests will find gardens, fire pits, lawn games, and access to nearby water for kayaking and paddleboarding. A historic barn that was once used as a harness racing training facility is slated to become an event space by 2027.

For New England travelers accustomed to heading straight for the coast, Monmouth might not be the first place that comes to mind. That, Sarah believes, is part of the appeal.

“We’re not in a specifically touristy area,” she says. “But there’s a huge opportunity to have the space to discover what’s cool about Maine — and you’re not standing in line.”

Within a short drive are lakes in nearly every direction, hiking trails, small restaurants, antique shops, working farms, and Kennebec Cabin Company, the gift shop known as “Home of the Maine Cabin Masters.” The coast is still within reach, but it’s not the main event.

“If you can go for a hike and then go for a swim and then get a great meal,” she says, “that’s a great day.”

It’s a vision of Maine that expands beyond the familiar imagery of lobster rolls and lighthouses.

“I think there’s another whole dimension of Maine,” Sarah says. “The lakes and mountains and being outside, but also the artisans and craftspeople who are doing really cool stuff.”

Sarah’s hope is that travelers feel like they are seeing something they’ve never seen before, or connecting to Maine in a deeper way.

As reservations begin to fill — helped in part by a loyal fan base — the Morrills are preparing for their first full season. While the project may have started as an unexpected opportunity, its direction now feels clear.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the people who are looking for something different,” Sarah says. “Who want to start and end their day a little bit off the beaten path.”