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Benjamin Downing

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Benjamin Downing
Image of Benjamin Downing

Democratic Party

Prior offices
Massachusetts State Senate Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden District (Historical)

Education

Bachelor's

Providence College, 2003

Graduate

Tufts University, 2008

Personal
Religion
Christian: Catholic
Contact

Campaign website

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Benjamin Downing (Democratic Party) was a member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden District. He assumed office in 2007. He left office in 2017.

Downing (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Massachusetts. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on September 6, 2022.

Biography

Downing earned his B.A. in political science from Providence College in 2003, and M.P.P. from Tufts University in 2008. His professional experience includes working as a legislative assistant for U.S. state representative John Olver from 2003 to 2005, and a communications director for the United Veterans of America from 2005 to 2006.[1]

Downing has been involved with a number of non-legislative committees, including the Governor's Advisory Commission on Local Government, the Joint Committee on Higher Education, the Joint Committee on Revenue, the Leadership Council to End Chronic Homelessness in Berkshire County, and the Pittsfield Democratic Committee.

Committee assignments

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Downing served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Downing served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Downing served on these committees:

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Downing served on these committees:

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2022

See also: Massachusetts gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of Massachusetts

Maura Healey defeated Geoff Diehl and Kevin Reed in the general election for Governor of Massachusetts on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Maura Healey
Maura Healey (D)
 
63.7
 
1,584,403
Image of Geoff Diehl
Geoff Diehl (R)
 
34.6
 
859,343
Image of Kevin Reed
Kevin Reed (L)
 
1.6
 
39,244
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
2,806

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,485,796
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Maura Healey defeated Sonia Chang-Diaz (Unofficially withdrew) in the Democratic primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Maura Healey
Maura Healey
 
85.3
 
642,092
Image of Sonia Chang-Diaz
Sonia Chang-Diaz (Unofficially withdrew)
 
14.4
 
108,574
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
1,972

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 752,638
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts

Geoff Diehl defeated Chris Doughty in the Republican primary for Governor of Massachusetts on September 6, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Geoff Diehl
Geoff Diehl
 
55.3
 
149,800
Image of Chris Doughty
Chris Doughty
 
44.4
 
120,418
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
769

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 270,987
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Massachusetts State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election was held on September 9, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014. Incumbent Benjamin Downing (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election.[2]

2012

See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2012

Downing won re-election in the 2012 election for Massachusetts State Senate Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden District. Downing was unopposed in the September 6 Democratic primary and was unopposed in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.[3]

2010

See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2010

Downing won re-election to the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin District seat in 2010. He had no opposition. He also faced no opposition in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Massachusetts State Senate - Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin District
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Benjamin Downing (D) 41,627
All Others 264
Blanks 9,674

2008

On November 4, 2008, Downing won re-election in the Senate election for the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district.[4] In this election he raised $137,388; of that total $126,823 (92.3%) was from in state contributions and $10,540 (7.7%) was from out of state contributions.[5]

Massachusetts State Senate - Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Benjamin Downing (D) 63,559
All Others 671
Blanks 13,694

2006

See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2006

On November 7, 2006 Downing won the Senate election in the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district.[6] He raised $132,415; of that total $123,440 (93.2%) was from in-state contributions and $7,550 (5.7%) was from out of state contributions.[7]

Massachusetts State Senate - Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Benjamin Downing (D) 37,763
Matthew Kinnaman (R) 13,595
Dion Robbins-Zust (Green-Rainbow) 1,988
All Others 25
Blanks 1,746

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Benjamin Downing did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Benjamin Downing campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2014Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin And HampdenWon $148,121 N/A**
2012Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin And HampdenWon $237,374 N/A**
2010Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampshire And FranklinWon $123,117 N/A**
2008Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampshire And FranklinWon $137,388 N/A**
2006Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampshire And FranklinWon $132,415 N/A**
Grand total$778,415 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Massachusetts

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Massachusetts scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.









2017

In 2017, the Massachusetts General Court was in session from January 4 through November 15. The legislature held an informal session from November 16 to January 2.

Legislators are scored on bills of interest to an organization that pledges "to make government more transparent, make fiscally responsible choices, and to hold the line on taxes."
Legislators are scored on their sponsorship of legislation related to animal issues.
Legislators are scored by the organization on votes that "can show the distinction between a progressive legislator, and everyone else."
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2016


2015


2014


2013


2012


2011

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Downing was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts and raised in Pittfield, Massachusetts. He has served as a member of the Catholic Youth Center and part of the Advisory Council in the Mahiwe Performing Arts Center.

Recent news

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All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Benjamin Downing News Feed

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Project Vote Smart - Senator Downing
    2. ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, "2014 State Primary Candidates," accessed September 9, 2014
    3. ↑ 2012 State Primary Candidate List, "Massachusetts Secretary of State," Acccessed June 26, 2012
    4. ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, "Return of Votes For Massachusetts State Election - November 4, 2008," accessed March 18, 2014
    5. ↑ Follow the Money, "2008 campaign contributions," accessed December 29, 2014
    6. ↑ Return of Votes for Massachusetts State Election November 7, 2006
    7. ↑ Follow the Money 2006
    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -     		Massachusetts State Senate Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden
    2007–2017     		Succeeded by
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