Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Following the 2022 redistricting process, the district now stretches up to Lake Ontario, taking in all or parts of seven additional towns in Niagara County. Higgins is a member of the Democratic Party, and of several congressional committees and caucuses. He was born, raised, and graduated from college in Buffalo, later obtaining graduate degrees from Buffalo State College and Harvard University. Self-described as an independent, Higgins is also considered a centrist. He supports the strengthening of Social Security, and has been a proponent for a public option for health insurance. He further supports national and regional economic development. Higgins supports abortion rights. He has also supported efforts for peace in many areas of the world, and has been actively involved in the Northern Ireland peace process. Early life, education, and career Brian Higgins was born on October 6, 1959, in Buffalo, New York. A native of South Buffalo, Higgins served on the Buffalo Common Council (city council) from 1988 to 1993, representing the South District. Higgins's grandparents were from Ireland. In 1993, during his final year on the Council, Higgins was rated "Buffalo's Best Lawmaker" in a 1993 Buffalo News Survey of Western New York business and community leaders. Responding to the survey were 158 business, community, and government leaders in Western New York. Higgins earned the highest rating of any political leader, with a 3.81 out of a possible score of 5. The Buffalo News wrote of Higgins: "During his 5 1/2 years on the Council, he has earned a reputation as a thoughtful, soft-spoken lawmaker who has paid attention to both district and citywide concerns." One community leader said, "Brian is a very bright, responsible public official", while a government leader said of Higgins, "The best Councilman in Buffalo. Has great vision." Higgins graduated from Buffalo State College with a B.A. in political science in 1984. He received a M.P.A. from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1996. Higgins has taught courses on state and local government, and the economic history of Buffalo and Western New York, in Buffalo State College's history and economics departments. He served as the 145th district representative