HALLOWELL — David Bustin has announced that he’s running as a Democrat for state Senate District 21.

Bustin, 73, a former Hallowell mayor, served four terms in the Maine House of Representatives and he was also state commissioner of personnel under Gov. Joseph Brennan. A member of the State Panel of Mediators, Bustin works on disputes within municipalities, school districts and agriculture.

Senate District 21 serves Gardiner, Winthrop, Manchester, Monmouth, Randolph, West Gardiner, Farmingdale, Litchfield, Pittston, Chelsea and Hallowell.

“I will not be afraid to stand up against proposals of the LePage administration,” Bustin said in a news release. “I worry about the next two years. Will there be attempts to roll back worker’s rights and retiree benefits? Will there be efforts to make it more difficult for citizens to vote? Will there be education proposals that will actually be harmful to our schools?”

Also running for the seat is incumbent state Rep. Earle L. McCormick, a Republican from West Gardiner.

In the release, Bustin cited his experience as a mediator, saying he can help solve problems “by getting people to the table and talking.”

In addition, Bustin said he believes that legislative committees need to provide better oversight to state government departments.

“The current mess over MaineCare is a prime example,” he said. “Legislators should not just take the word of cabinet members that ‘all is well’ in their departments. Huge budget deficits can result from not having all the facts.”

Bustin who is retired, was also director of labor relations for Central Maine Power Company. He owned and operated the Kennebec Wharf in Hallowell for seven years, selling it in 2009.