Laird was raised in Vallejo,California,and educated in Vallejo public schools. Laird's parents were both educators. He graduated from Adlai Stevenson College of the University of California,Santa Cruz in 1972 with an A.B. in Politics with general college honors,honors from the Board of Politics,and honors on an undergraduate thesis on the history of water development in California.
In 1981,Laird received the most votes in a field of eight to be elected to a seat on the Santa Cruz City Council. He was re-elected as top vote-getter in 1985,serving until term limits ended his Council service in 1990. He was elected by the City Council to one-year Mayor's terms in 1983–84 and 1987–88.[9] During his time on the Santa Cruz City Council,he worked with the environmental organization Save Our Shores to lead local governments in the fight against proposed offshore oil drilling and in favor of the designation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.[10]
State Assembly
Portrait of Laird during his tenure in the State Assembly
Laird ran unopposed in the 2002 Democratic primary and easily won election to the California Assembly. Laird served as chair of both the Assembly Budget Committee and the Special Session Committee on Budget Process. He also served on the Judiciary Committee,the Labor and Employment Committee,and the Natural Resources Committee.
Before being elected to the assembly in 2002,Laird served as an elected member of the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees from 1994 to his election to the Assembly in 2002. He was re-elected to the assembly in 2004 and 2006 before being termed out in 2008. While serving the maximum three terms in the Assembly,Laird authored 82 bills that were signed into law.[11]
Laird ran for the 15th DistrictCalifornia State Senate seat previously held by Republican Abel Maldonado,whom Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger named as Lieutenant Governor in November 2009.[13] He lost to Republicanstate AssemblymanSam Blakeslee in a special election primary held on June 22,2010 and subsequently in the runoff election held on August 17,2010.[14] Laird lost by a 7.59% margin in the primary and a 3.93% margin in the runoff.[15]
California Resources Secretary
Laird was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown,Jr. on January 5,2011 as California's Secretary for Natural Resources.[7][16] In the Brown administration,Laird oversaw a $10 billion budget and 25 statewide departments,commissions and conservancies,including the departments of water,state parks,fish and wildlife,and Cal Fire,as well as the California Coastal Commission,California Energy Commission,and California Coastal Conservancy.[17]
2020 State Senate
In January 2019,Laird announced his intention to run for the 17th District state Senate seat in 2020. He pledged to focus on a range of issues if elected,from managing the impact of climate change and wildfires,to protecting California's ocean policies,supporting the middle class and expanding access to health care,education and affordable housing.[18] Laird was elected on November 3,2020 to the State Senate after defeating Vicki Nohrden by 64.7% to 35.3%.[19]
California's 17th State Senate District spans the northern Central Coast,including the counties of Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo and part of the counties of Monterey and Salinas Valley. Previously,District 17 included sections of Santa Clara.[21]
During the first two years of Laird's first term as a State Senator,he introduced a bill package tackling a number of the most pressing issues in central coast communities and around the state,including initiatives on wildfire mitigation,equitable access to healthcare services,tackling sea level rise,fixing a broken EDD system and issue of affordability as our state transitions to a greener,decarbonized economy. Laird moved 30 bills to Governor Newsom's desk for signature,with 29 successfully signed into law.[22][23]
Chair of the Senate Working Group on Climate Change
Vice Chair,Joint Legislative Audit Committee
Member,Appropriations Committee
Member,Budget &Fiscal Review Committee
Member,Joint Legislative Committee on Budget
Member,Judiciary Committee
Member,Labor,Public Employment &Retirement
Member,Natural Resources &Water Committee
Member,Rules Committee
Member,Joint Legislative Committee on Rules
Member,State Allocation Board
Member,Cradle to Career Governing Board
Member,LGBTQ Caucus
Member,Aviation Caucus
Member Bay Area Caucus
Member,Environmental Caucus
Member,Mental Health Caucus
Member,Outdoor Sporting Caucus
Member,Rural Caucus
Member,Tech &Innovation Caucus
Member,Native American Caucus
Member,Lake Tahoe Caucus
Member,Select Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response
Member,Select Committee on Student Success
Member,Select Committee on Wine Industry
Member,Select Committee on Non Profit Sector
On March 7,2023 Laird announced his campaign for a second term.[25]
Community activism
Laird has been active in the Santa Cruz community,serving as Vice Chair of the City Charter Review Committee,a founder of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union,and a board member of the Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been active on a variety of community boards.
He has been active with the lesbian and gay community,as a columnist for the Lavender Reader,a commentator on KZSC's "Closet Free Radio",a founding member of the International Network of Gay and Lesbian Officials—and was an original board member of BAYMEC,the gay and lesbian political action committee for San Mateo,Santa Clara,Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties. In the Assembly,he served as chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus.
Laird was a founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project. He served as executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project from 1991 to 1994.[26]
He also has served on the Santa Cruz Community Foundation's Advisory Committee for the Lesbian and Gay Grants Partnership. Laird lives in Santa Cruz with his spouse John Flores.[16] He is fluent in Spanish.[16]
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