# Brian Baird
**Brian Baird** (born 1956) is an American clinical psychologist and Democratic politician who represented Washington's 3rd congressional district in the [United States House of Representatives](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-house-of-representatives) from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2011, serving six terms.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) After leaving Congress he led Antioch University's Seattle campus and founded a communications and policy consulting firm in Edmonds, Washington.[2](https://aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Continuity-of-Government.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| House service | Democrat, Washington's 3rd district, 106th through 111th Congresses, January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2011[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) |
| Born | Chama, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, 1956[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) |
| Education | B.S., University of Utah, 1977; M.S., University of Wyoming, 1980; Ph.D., University of Wyoming, 1984[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) |
| Pre-congressional career | Clinical psychologist; professor at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, 1986 to 1998[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) |
| Voting record | More liberal than 68% of the 111th House and more conservative than 54% of House Democrats, per DW-NOMINATE scores[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) |
| Post-Congress | President of Antioch University Seattle, 2013 to 2015; president of 4Pirz Communication, Edmonds, Washington[2](https://aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Continuity-of-Government.pdf) |
## Education and clinical career
Baird was born in Chama, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, in 1956.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) He earned a B.S. from the [University of Utah](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-utah) in 1977 and both an M.S. (1980) and a Ph.D. (1984) from the [University of Wyoming](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-wyoming) in Laramie.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird)
He worked as a clinical psychologist, specializing in work with brain injury and cancer patients in medical centers, VA hospitals, and other clinical settings.[3](https://www2.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/voters%27%20pamphlet%202008%20general%20election.pdf) In a later interview he described having practiced clinical psychology for 20 years before entering Congress.[4](https://time.com/6261386/mental-health-congress-john-fetterman/) From 1986 to 1998 he was a professor at Pacific Lutheran University in [Tacoma, Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/tacoma-washington).[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird)
## Elections
Baird first ran for the House in 1996 as the Democratic nominee for Washington's 3rd district and lost.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) He was reelected five times. In 2002 he received 119,264 votes, 61.69 percent of the total.[5](https://www.fec.gov/documents/1557/federalelections02.pdf) In his 2008 campaign statement he described his record as bringing "common sense, independent leadership and proven solutions" to southwest Washington.[3](https://www2.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/voters%27%20pamphlet%202008%20general%20election.pdf)
He did not run for reelection to the 112th Congress in 2010, and his service ended on January 3, 2011.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) The seat later returned to Democratic hands in 2022, when Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez won the district for the first time in 12 years.[6](https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/11/09/kent-trump-perez-washington-3rd-election-results)
## Voting record and legislative work
Voteview's DW-NOMINATE scaling places Baird more liberal than 68 percent of the 111th House and more conservative than 54 percent of House Democrats, a position on the moderate wing of his party's delegation.[1](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird) In the 111th Congress he sponsored the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks Partnership Act of 2010.[7](https://legislate.dev/members/brian-baird)
## Mental health in Congress
Baird's clinical background shaped his public comments on mental health among members of Congress. He recalled consulting the House physician about a mental health issue while in office, and noted the difficulty of seeking such care discreetly: "Merely being seen going into the office of a psychologist or psychiatrist can be a big issue," he said, adding that with the attending physician "nobody knows whether you're going to him for a head cold or a torn rotator cuff or whatever."[4](https://time.com/6261386/mental-health-congress-john-fetterman/)
## Later career
After leaving Congress, Baird moved to Edmonds, Washington, where he continued to write and take part in public discussion of American politics.[8](https://thecandidate.com/federal/house/historical/wa/3/brian-baird) He served as president of Antioch University's Seattle campus from 2013 to 2015 and is president of 4Pirz [Communication](https://www.edgepedia.org/communication), a communications, science, and policy consulting firm based in Edmonds.[2](https://aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Continuity-of-Government.pdf)
## References
1. [Voteview: Rep. BAIRD, Brian (Democrat, WA-3)](https://voteview.com/person/29938/brian-baird)
2. [Continuity of Government Commission, American Enterprise Institute (2022)](https://aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Continuity-of-Government.pdf)
3. [Washington Secretary of State, 2008 General Election Voters' Pamphlet, District 3](https://www2.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/voters%27%20pamphlet%202008%20general%20election.pdf)
4. [How Members of Congress Deal With Their Mental Health, TIME (2023)](https://time.com/6261386/mental-health-congress-john-fetterman/)
5. [Federal Election Commission, 2002 Federal Elections results, Washington District 3](https://www.fec.gov/documents/1557/federalelections02.pdf)
6. [Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez leads Trump ally Joe Kent in Washington's 3rd, Axios (2022)](https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2022/11/09/kent-trump-perez-washington-3rd-election-results)
7. [Brian Baird – Representative, Legislate.dev](https://legislate.dev/members/brian-baird)
8. [Brian Baird — Former U.S. Representative for Washington District 3, The Candidate](https://thecandidate.com/federal/house/historical/wa/3/brian-baird)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US House members › Western and Pacific representatives › Surnames A to K*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 29, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 29, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license