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. Laird served for two years on the district staff of United States RepresentativeJerome Waldie, and worked during the summer of 1974 for Rep. Bill Gunter of Florida in his run for the U.S. Senate. Laird moved to Santa Cruz, California and joined the staff of the Santa Cruz County Administrator in 1974 and later served in the personnel and social services departments.
City Council and Mayor
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. 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.
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 CollegeBoard 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. His election campaigns have often won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
2010 State Senate Run
Laird ran for the 15th District California State Senate seat previously held by RepublicanAbel Maldonado, whom Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger named as Lieutenant Governor in November 2009. He lost to Republican state AssemblymanSam Blakeslee in a special election primary held on June 22, 2010 and subsequently in the runoff election held on August 17, 2010. Laird lost by a 7.59% margin in the primary and a 3.93% margin in the runoff.
California Resources Secretary
Laird was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. on January 5, 2011 as California's Secretary for Natural Resources. 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.
2020 State Senate Run
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. 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 Santa Clara.
Community activism
Laird has been active in the Santa Cruz community, serving as Vice Chair of the City CharterReview 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 "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 lesbianpolitical 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 founding member of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project. He served as executive director of the Santa Cruz AIDS Project from 1991 to 1994. 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. He is fluent in Spanish.
