Benjamin Downing  Benjamin Brackett Downing (born 11 September 1981) is a Democratic former member of the Massachusetts Senate, representing the Berkshire, Hampshire and Franklin district from 2007-2013, before being redistricted to the Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden district. The oldest of four children, Benjamin Downing was born in Pittsfield to Gerard, the late Berkshire County District Attorney, and Pamela Downing. He attended Providence College in Rhode Island, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2003. He then moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for U.S. Representatives Bill Delahunt and Richard Neal before joining the staff of John Olver. He served as Olver's senior advisor on housing, budget, tax, homeland security, and foreign affairs for two years. In 2004, he returned to Massachusetts and began his graduate studies at Tufts University. While a student at Tufts, he successfully ran for an open seat in the Massachusetts Senate in 2006. He won re-election in 2008. He received a Master of Arts degree in Urban & Environmental Policy from Tufts in 2008.