State Representative Michael Costello has dedicated his career to Public Service. A cum laude graduate of Salem State College, Mike spent three years there organizing and implementing a program that resulted in students building desperately needed housing for some of the poorest Americans living in Appalachia. He also spent a summer working as an intern in the United States Congress.

Following graduation, Mike served as a Catholic Lay Volunteer for the Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas and later as the Program Director for the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Association of Boston. While attending Suffolk University Law School, Mike earned academic honors and worked for the Office of New Hampshire’s Public Defender.

After earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1996, Mike worked for Essex County District Attorney Kevin Burke. As an Assistant District Attorney., Mike prosecuted hundreds of cases involving the possession and distribution of drugs, domestic violence, assault and battery and robbery.

Mike was elected to the Newburyport City Council as a councilor-at-large in 1997 and, a year later, became Field Director for Congressman John Tierney's (D-Salem) campaign. Following Congressman Tierney's successful election, Mike worked as the Chief of Staff for State Senator Joan Menard (D-Somerset), former Chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Mike was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2002. He serves the First Essex District, which includes the City of Newburyport and the Towns of Amesbury and Salisbury. During his first term, Mike served on the Joint Committees on Banks and Banking and Insurance. He appeared on the Pat Whitley Radio Show and on New England Cable News with Chet Curtis to discuss insurance issues and the Bank of America merger with Fleet Bank. He now serves as the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and is a member of the Democratic leadership team in the House.

During his time in the Legislature, Mike has been an ardent defender of the Massachusetts Constitution. Mike has championed a bill to change the name of the Department of Mental Retardation to remove the stigma of inadequacy for one of the state's most vulnerable populations. That change was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2009 state budget.

Mike was one of the lead sponsors of sweeping identity theft legislation, recently signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. The law will protect consumers by ensuring that businesses, banks and government agencies maintain their personal information securely and dispose of it properly. The bill also gives consumers proactive tools to ensure that identity thieves do not obtain new lines of credit using stolen information.

Within his district, Mike remains committed to helping the veterans and older adults of Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury. He has worked hard to preserve the natural environment and historic resources that make the First Essex District such a beautiful place to live. He has helped sustain many of the valuable organizations that provide critical social services in the region.

Mike is a member of the Governor’s Anti-Crime Council and a member of the Board of Directors for

the Essex County Bar Association. The Massachusetts Bar Association named Mike the Legislature of the Year in 2007. He is Of Counsel to Andrews and Updergraph Law Firm of Salem.

Mike is the son of former State Senator Nicholas Costello and Cynthia Costello. He is married to Kerrin D'Archangelo of Haverhill, and they live in Newburyport with their daughter Kate and son Harry.