Benjamin Brooks (politician)

Benjamin Thomas Brooks, Sr. (born April 23, 1950) is an American politician. He is a Democratic member of the Maryland Senate for District 10, based in Baltimore County, since 2023. He was previously a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 10 from 2015 to 2023.[1]

Benjamin Brooks
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 10th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Preceded byDelores G. Kelley
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 10th district
In office
January 14, 2015 – January 11, 2023
Serving with Jay Jalisi and Adrienne A. Jones
Preceded byEmmett C. Burns
Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
Succeeded byJennifer White
Personal details
Born (1950-04-23) April 23, 1950
Sumter, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children3
ResidenceWindsor Mill, Maryland
Signature
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Battles/warsVietnam War

Early life and career

Brooks was born in Sumter, South Carolina and attended Ebenezer High School. After high school, he joined the United States Army in Vietnam in 1969, serving until 1972. His awards and service ribbons include the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. In 1976, he earned a B.S. in accounting from South Carolina State University, and worked as a junior accountant at Seagram from 1976 to 1978, and as a cost accountant from 1978 to 1987. Brooks has served as the owner of the B&R Brooks Professional Tax Service since 1987, and as the President of Brooks Family Investments since 2004.[1]

Since 2010, Brooks has been a member of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee. From 2011 to 2013, he served on the Baltimore County Board of License Commissioners.[1]

Since 2012, Brooks has served as a member of the Sojourner–Douglass College Board of Directors.[1]

In the legislature

Brooks has been a member of the Maryland House of Delegates since January 14, 2015. Since 2017, he has served as the Deputy Majority Whip for the Maryland House Democratic Caucus.[1]

In February 2019, Brooks attempted to declare his candidacy to replace Nancy Kopp as the Maryland State Treasurer, but failed to do so because he missed the deadline for doing so.[2] Brooks would receive 24 votes in the legislative election, coming second behind Kopp, who received 134 votes.[3]

In December 2020, GenOn Energy Holdings announced that it would cease operations at the Morgantown Generating Station by 2027, in agreement with the Maryland Coal Community Transition Act of 2021, legislation proposed by Brooks and state senator Christopher R. West.[4] In March 2021, Brooks withdrew the bill in favor of a "summer study" to be conducted during the legislative interim, displeasing climate activists.[5] In June 2021, GenOn announced that it would retire its Morgantown coal firing plant by June 2022, five years ahead of schedule.[6]

Committee assignments
Maryland Senate
  • Senate Chair, Joint Electric Universal Service Program Work Group, 2023–present
  • Member, Education, Energy and the Environment Committee, 2023–present
  • Member, Joint Subcommittee on Program Open Space and Agricultural Land Preservation, 2023–present
Maryland House of Delegates
  • Economic Matters Committee, 2015–2023 (alcoholic beverages subcommittee, 2015–2023; property & casualty insurance subcommittee, 2015–2018; chair, public utilities subcommittee, 2019–2023; chair, joint electric service program work group, 2020–2023)
  • House Chair, Joint Electric Universal Service Program Work Group, 2020–2023

Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 10 Democratic Primary Election, 2014[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adrienne A. Jones 8,995 25
Democratic Jay Jalisi 6,146 17
Democratic Benjamin Brooks 6,146 17
Democratic Carin Smith 5,197 15
Democratic Robert "Rob" Johnson 3,369 10
Democratic Chris Blake 2,085 6
Democratic Michael Tyrone Brown, Sr. 1,868 5
Democratic Regg J. Hatcher, Jr. 1,121 3
Democratic Frederick Strickland 1,104 3
Maryland House of Delegates District 10 General Election, 2014[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adrienne A. Jones 24,104 30
Democratic Benjamin Brooks 23,703 29
Democratic Jay Jalisi 23,339 29
Republican William T. Newton 9,906 12
Other/Write-in Other/Write-in 280 0
Democratic (Write-in) Michael Tyrone Brown, Sr. 68 0
Maryland House of Delegates District 10 Democratic Primary Election, 2018[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adrienne A. Jones 11,005 28
Democratic Jay Jalisi 10,790 28
Democratic Benjamin Brooks 9,587 25
Democratic Lauren Lipscomb 4,588 12
Democratic Nathaniel M. Costley, Sr. 1,914 5
Democratic Jordan F. Porompyae 903 2
Maryland House of Delegates District 10 General Election, 2018[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adrienne A. Jones 33,830 27
Democratic Benjamin Brooks 33,066 27
Democratic Jay Jalisi 32,587 26
Republican George H. Harman 8,525 7
Republican Brian Marcos 7,706 6
Republican Matthew Kaliszak 7,458 6
Other/Write-in Other/Write-in 159 0

References
  1. "Benjamin T. Brooks, Sr". Maryland Gov. Maryland Gov. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  2. Kurtz, Josh (February 12, 2019). "Lawmaker Wanted to Apply for State Treasurer But Missed the Deadline". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  3. DePuyt, Bruce (February 19, 2019). "After Efforts to Oust Her Sag, Kopp Wins 5th Full Term as Md. Treasurer". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  4. Shwe, Elizabeth (December 21, 2020). "A Major Energy Operator in Md. Plans to Retire All Its Coal Plants by 2027". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  5. Shwe, Elizabeth (March 8, 2021). "Bipartisan Coal Transition Bill Withdrawn by House Sponsor". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  6. Shwe, Elizabeth (June 14, 2021). "Md. Coal-Fired Power Plant Will Retire Five Years Early — Before Worker Retraining Kicks In". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  7. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  8. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  9. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  10. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
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