Brian Baird

Brian Norton Baird (born March 7, 1956) is an American psychologist and politician.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1977, and his Master of Science degree and PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Wyoming.

He is the former chairman of the Department of Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and a licensed clinical psychologist.

He has published several journal articles and three books.

He regularly teaches professional development courses to attorneys and judges on communications, ethics and the psychology of persuasion.

Baird is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.

Baird was also a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Science Committee, the House Budget Committee, and the House Select Committee on Continuity in Government.

Baird challenged Republican incumbent Linda Smith in 1996 and lost by only 887 votes.

He served as a senior regional whip and on the Democratic Steering Committee, was elected president of the 1998 Democratic Freshman Class, and was a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

On his House of Representatives website, Baird wrote that during his time in Congress, he had flown home nearly every weekend and hosted more than 280 town hall meetings, and that he had visited every high school, port, hospital and countless businesses and organizations in Southwest Washington.

Baird held over 300 town halls, or one for approximately every week and a half he was in office.

Although they usually had around 50 participants, when held during passionate debates, they had up to 3000.

Smith gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful bid for the United States Senate in 1998.

Baird ran again and defeated State Senator Don Benton with 54.7% of the vote.

He never faced another race that close, and was reelected five times.

A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. representative for WA's 3rd congressional district from 1999 to 2011.

On February 19, 2009, Baird, together with fellow congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), visited Gaza to view firsthand the destruction from the Gaza War and meet with international and local relief agencies.

Others in the visit included Senator John Kerry (D-MA).

The visit, which was not sanctioned by the Obama Administration, was the first time anyone from the U.S. government had entered Gaza in more than three years.

Baird said:

"'The amount of physical destruction and the depth of human suffering here [in Gaza] is staggering. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, schools completely leveled, fundamental water, sewer, and electricity facilities hit and relief agencies heavily damaged. The personal stories of children being killed in their homes or schools, entire families wiped out, and relief workers prevented from evacuating the wounded are heart-wrenching—what went on here, and what is continuing to go on, is shocking and troubling beyond words.'"

On December 9, 2009, Baird announced he would not run for reelection in 2010.

After his retirement, Baird and his family moved to Edmonds, Washington, and he wrote books on American politics.

Baird is married to Rachel Nugent and they have two children together.

He is the maternal uncle of singer-songwriters Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell.

After Baird's third visit to Gaza in February 2010, he called on the U.S. to end the blockade and to deliver humanitarian supplies, which could include withholding military aid from Israel, saying the U.S. needed to be more serious about getting Israel to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

After leaving the U.S. House of Representatives, he served as the president of Antioch University Seattle from 2011 to 2015.

Baird was born in Chama, New Mexico, to Edith S. and William N. ("Bill") Baird, a town councilman and mayor.

His younger sister is actress Maggie Baird.