Senator Ben Brooks Contact information

Benjamin Thomas Brooks Sr., born on April 23, 1950, is an American politician who has been serving as a member of the Maryland Senate for District 10, based in Baltimore County, since 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party and had previously represented the district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2015 to 2023.

Born in Sumter, South Carolina, Brooks is the fourth child of thirteen born to the late Thomas and Hester L. Brooks. After graduating from Ebenezer High School, he served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1972, where he worked as a telephone repairman. During his service, he earned the Accommodations Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.

After his military service, Brooks attended South Carolina State University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting in 1976. He then worked as an accountant for Seagram, first as a junior accountant from 1976 to 1978 and then as a cost accountant until 1987.

Brooks has been running his own tax service company, B & R Brooks Professional Tax Service, since 1987 and his own investment firm, Brooks Family Investments Inc., since 2004. He first got involved in politics in 2010, when he was elected as a member of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee. In December 2010, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz appointed Brooks as chair of the county’s liquor board, where he served until 2013.

In 2014, Brooks ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 10, during which he won the Democratic primary alongside Jay Jalisi and incumbent Adrienne A. Jones. He was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015, where he served on the Economic Matters Committee during his entire tenure and as the chair of its public utilities subcommittee from 2019 to 2023. Brooks also served as deputy majority whip from 2017 to 2023.

In 2022, Brooks ran for the Maryland Senate in District 10, seeking to succeed retiring state Senator Delores G. Kelley. He won the election and was sworn into the Maryland Senate on January 11, 2023. He has since served on the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. Brooks is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the Maryland Veterans Caucus.

Privately, Senator Brooks does consulting for B&R Brooks LLC, an accounting firm that he founded 42 years ago, which is now owned and operated by his son, Benjamin T. Brooks, Jr. The Senator resides in Woodstock Maryland with Theresa, his wife of 48 years. He also has two daughters, Lindsey and Ashley, and seven grandchildren.