Michael Baumgartner is a Republican politician representing Washington's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he is serving his first term since 2025. Born on December 13, 1975, in Pullman, Washington, he was raised in Colton and Pullman among the Palouse wheat fields. He lives in Spokane with his wife, Eleanor—whom he met while working in Afghanistan—and their five children. A Catholic, Baumgartner is actively involved in his community through youth sports, scouts, and Sunday School, and enjoys outdoor activities like hiking, camping, biking, and visiting local trails and buttes.

Education and Political Experience

Baumgartner earned a BA in Economics from Washington State University in 1999 and an MPA in International Development from Harvard University in 2002, where he also served as a teaching fellow in economics.

His political career includes serving as Washington State Senator for District 6 from 2010 to 2019, during which he chaired the Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee and was ranking member on the Economic Development, Trade and Innovation Committee; he also served on health care, higher education, and transportation committees. From 2019 onward, he was Treasurer of Spokane County. Prior roles include U.S. State Department economic affairs officer in Baghdad , counternarcotics advisor in Afghanistan, economics adviser to the U.S. military, and researcher for the U.S. Forest Service.

In Congress, he serves on the Foreign Affairs, Judiciary, and Education & Labor committees, including the Subcommittee on The Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust.

Notable achievements include authoring “Drain the Swamp” legislation that eliminated five state agencies to reduce government waste, earning the “Champion of Freedom Award” from the Washington Policy Center and “Legislator of the Year” from the Inland Empire Society of American Foresters.