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Opinion: Experience should matter in Maine’s Senate primary

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Opinion: Experience should matter in Maine’s Senate primary


The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com

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.

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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.

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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.



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Maine

Showers passing across Maine today; warmer and drier to start the workweek

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Showers passing across Maine today; warmer and drier to start the workweek


BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – Good morning, and Happy Sunday everyone. Skies are on the cloudier side across Maine this morning with scattered showers for much of the state. A couple of breaks in clouds can be found here or there. Temperatures vary throughout the 50s for most, while reaching the 60s and low 70s in Southern Maine as more consistent sunshine is allowing for plenty of heating. Patchy fog remains across a good chunk of the state with some towns under one mile. Winds are on the calmer side this morning.

The morning hours will remain cloudier with showers and patchy fog for many. By the afternoon, showers will continue for most of the state, but will taper off from the NW to SE. This means conditions will dry out with sunshine developing across Northern Maine by the midafternoon. Showers will continue along the interstate until 3-4pm, with sunshine then filtering in by the later evening hours. Coastal locations will experience showers until the later evening hours, with clouds breaking by sunset, allowing for some sun to end the day. High temps today will vary from the upper 50s to low 70s. Dewpoints will become sticky in spots. Winds will be on the lighter side in the morning, before becoming breezy in the afternoon with WSW to NNW gusts reaching 25-35 mph.

Rainfall totals today will vary between a quarter to a half of an inch for most. Some pockets to the northwest, however, will only reach a tenth of an inch to a quarter inch.

Conditions will be quiet tonight. Besides a few clouds and light showers Downeast shortly before sunset, skies will clear with mostly to completely clear conditions and some patchy morning fog. Low temps will reach the low 40s to low 50s with North to NNW gusts remaining a bit breezy, reaching 20-30 mph.

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Monday will be a dry day, and in my opinion, the pick of the week. Skies will be sunny with just a few clouds developing later in the evening. High temps will warm up, from the low 70s to low 80s. NNW/SW gusts will remain just a little breezy, reaching 20-25 mph.

Another beautiful day with mostly sunny skies is expected on Tuesday. However, temperatures will really start to warm. Highs will vary from the mid 70s to upper 80s. WNW/SW gusts will only reach 20 mph.

Above average temperatures will carry on Wednesday through Friday with highs throughout the 70s and 80s for most. However, this stretch of days is becoming increasingly unsettled. Showers and thunderstorms look increasingly more likely to develop during the afternoons as some frontal systems pass through. The greatest chance of showers and storms will be Wednesday night through Thursday. More cloud cover is thus expected, so temperatures aren’t looking to peak as high as they were originally expected to reach. Dewpoints will also become sticky towards the end of the work week, reaching into the 60s on Thursday and Friday.

SUNDAY: Highs from upper 50s to low 70s. Cloudier AM with showers. PM showers tapering off from NW to SE. Evening sunshine developing. Slightly sticky dewpoints. WSW to NNW gusts reach 25-35 mph during PM.

MONDAY: Highs from low 70s to low 80s. Sunny skies. A few evening clouds. NNW/SW gusts reach 20-25 mph.

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TUESDAY: Highs from mid 70s to upper 80s. Mostly sunny skies. WNW/SW gusts reach 20 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Highs from low 70s to upper 80s. Partly to mostly cloudy AM. Cloudy PM with showers & storms possible. Slightly sticky dewpoints. SW gusts reach 15-20 mph.

THURSDAY: Highs from upper 60s to mid 80s. Partly to mostly cloudy. Showers & storms possible. Sticky dewpoints. South/SW gusts reach 15-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Highs from mid 60s to low 80s. Partly cloudy, few mostly cloudy spots. PM showers/storms possible. Sticky dewpoints. South gusts reach 15-20 mph.

Copyright 2026 WABI. All rights reserved.

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Maine

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner defends his past on campaign trail

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Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner defends his past on campaign trail


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At a rally with supporters, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner spoke out to defend his past after appearing to address new allegations made against him by three women who spoke with the New York Times. Some voters said they are sticking with Platner despite the controversy. NBC News’ Monica Alba reports.

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Man shot by police after Calais sword incident hospitalized

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Man shot by police after Calais sword incident hospitalized


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A man was shot by police Friday after grabbing a sword and swinging it at officers during a traffic stop, according to the Calais Police Department.

Calais Police Officer Charles Ball and Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Taylor Leblanc stopped Abinadi White, 35, at the intersection of Main and North streets, according to a press release.

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When White was told he was under arrest, he reportedly refused to comply. Officers tried to use a Taser but were unsuccessful, and when they tried to physically take him into custody he grabbed a sword and swung it at them. Both officers fired their weapons.

White was taken to Calais Regional Hospital and later airlifted to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was stabilized.

Both officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure when deadly force is used. The Maine Attorney General’s Office will investigate the use of deadly force.

White faces charges including criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, failure to submit to arrest and operating after suspension, police said.



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