Washington, D.C. – Five-term U.S. Rep. Brian Baird announced this week that he has formally launched his campaign for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Baird, who was elected to serve Southwest Washington’s Third Congressional District in 1998, serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee and the House Budget committee.  Baird is chair of the Research and Education subcommittee of the House committee on Science and Technology.

“It is a tremendous honor to represent the people of Southwest Washington in Congress,” Baird said in a press release, “and I am proud of the things we have accomplished together – restoring and defending sales tax deductibility, working to strengthen the economy and protect family wage jobs, fighting for lower energy prices, supporting small businesses, combating the plague of methamphetamine and leading the effort to enhance science and vocational education.”

In announcing his re-election campaign Baird promised to wage an energetic and aggressive campaign. With more than $1 million of cash on hand in his campaign fund already, Baird is taking nothing for granted. He indicates plans to raise at least a half million dollars more for this election and is prepared to raise “substantially more” than that if necessary. Baird annoyed some anti-war activists by supporting President George Bush’s “Surge” policy in Iraq, leading observers to suspect he may face opposition in the Democratic primary election.

Baird is married to Rachel Nugent, an economist with the Center for Global Development. They have twin boys, William and Walter, age three. 

Baird recently endorsed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.