When Jim Baird (A’67) decided to run for Congress in 2017, filling his father’s seat in the Indiana General Assembly wasn’t on Beau Baird’s (HHS’04, MBA’18) radar.
But having worked in the background of his father’s campaigns, the younger Baird became intrigued by the possibility of being able to effect change on behalf of Indiana’s 44th district — a place Baird has called home his entire life.
“At no time did I think, ‘this is something I’d like to do myself,’” says Baird. And it’s not as if he was looking for something to do. At the time, not only was Baird pursuing a full-time career, he was also working on master’s degrees from both Harvard and Purdue.
“Nonetheless, if I learned one thing from my father, it would be the passion to serve our neighbors, community, and state,” reflects Baird. “Hence, I made the decision to run for state representative to preserve the significant progress Indiana has made in the last decade and work to make sure the people of district 44 have a strong voice in Indianapolis.”
Indiana’s 44th
“What makes Indiana’s 44th district special to me is simple,” says Baird. “It’s home. Which gives me tremendous strength and courage to know I am not only fighting for myself in the Indiana General Assembly, but for those I love and call family, friends, or neighbors.
Located 45 minutes west of Indianapolis, the district is heavily agricultural.
“Agriculture makes this district special to me as it served as my educational foundation, growing up on the farm,” reflects Baird. “The contribution that agriculture makes to our economy, our country, and our food supply chain is extremely important.”
Fittingly, the first bill that Baird authored in Indiana’s General Assembly dealt with noxious weeds and invasive species.
“It was rewarding to gain firsthand knowledge from carrying that bill through the legislative process, interact with the experts at Purdue and producers to try to define the parameters of that bill,” shares Baird.
“The effort to find the most effective, efficient, and least impactful means to prevent and control invasive species is no easy task. The satisfaction of having Governor Holcomb sign the bill was very rewarding — not only for me, but all of those who contributed to the process and it provided additional protection for agricultural production by preventing invasive species from overtaking our agricultural lands.”
The Fallout from COVID-19
Being a rural district, COVID-19’s impact on Indiana’s 44th has greatly affected residents’ ability to stay connected while people are socializing, studying, and working remotely.
“The coronavirus pandemic has increased the awareness and need for high speed-internet,” says Baird.
As of 2018, 500,000 people in the state of Indiana lacked broadband access.
Interestingly, another Boilermaker in Indianapolis has also been working with Baird on the issue: Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch (LA’75), who heads up efforts to expand access in the state. Once connected, says Crouch, the economic windfall could contribute $1 billion to the state economy.
“Rural access to affordable high speed Internet can no longer be a talking point!” says Baird. “It is critically vital to the future of rural Indiana as it helps level the playing field and gives people access to the world economy.”
Blazing a New Path
Running for his father’s office wasn’t so much a desire to build a family legacy as it was to carry forward the values his father instilled in him.
“Certainly, I admire the accomplishments of my father and I have tremendous respect for the things that he’s done,” shares Baird, speaking of his father Jim. “He has always taught me to think for myself and to use my own experiences and knowledge to make appropriate decisions under different circumstances.”
Baird even questions the premise of having run for “his father’s seat.” Instead, Baird insists, “I never looked at the decision from the perspective of replacing my father. The office of state representative is the people’s seat — it belongs to no one except the people.”
And ultimately, having close contact with constituents is the greatest asset that Baird claims in office.
“Working on numerous campaigns helped me understand the election process. However, nothing can replace the knowledge gained from talking to constituents face-to-face. It truly drives home the understanding that different communities have different needs. It also made me realize that as you talk to more and more people those issues of greatest concern tend to come to the surface.”