Brian Baird (born March 7, 1956), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1999, representing the Third Congressional District of Washington. Born in Chama, New Mexico, he attended the University of Utah and the University of Wyoming, completing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. He taught as a professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. He was elected to the House in 1998 after being defeated in a prior bid in 1996. He sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Science Committee, the House Budget Committee, and thee House Select Committee on Continuity in Government. He also serves as a Senior Regional Whip. He was elected President of the 1998 Democratic Freshman Class.
Baird handily won his fourth term in the election held on 2 November 2004 by a margin of about 2-to-1, carrying even conservative Lewis County, Washington.
In the February 9, 2006 edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer , columnist Robert L. Jamieson, Jr. reported that Baird had engaged in a hostile exchange with the recipient of a scholarship he and his wife had endowed to Kevin Nelson, a student attending Centralia College. Baird's response to Nelson's thank-you note criticized the gesture as "not very impressive to say the least," and criticized the note for not being on "some form of nice card" or letterhead. Nelson responded with great acridity, concluding by suggesting that the Congressman "find a more diplomatic means of expression." When questioned about it in February 2006 by Jamieson, Baird said he intended the letter to be construed as "a friendly and helpful suggestion."
