Rebecca Saldaña

Political Party: Democratic

District: Washington State Senate District 37

Current Position: Washington State Senate Deputy Majority Leader

Rebecca Jae Saldaña was born on April 1, 1977, and is a proud Chicana of Mexican and German heritage. She grew up in Seattle's Delridge neighborhood, where her upbringing was shaped by economic and environmental challenges that instilled in her a deep commitment to conservation, resilience, and justice.

Her father was a Mexican immigrant and former farmworker who became a machinist and worked in Georgetown near one of Seattle's largest polluters. Her mother was a social worker from a family of Midwest farmers. These formative experiences fueled Saldaña's determination to advocate for communities disproportionately affected by environmental and social injustices.

Saldaña represents Washington's 37th Legislative District, which includes parts of South Seattle, Renton, Madrona, the Central District, Leschi, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Rainier Valley, and Bryn Mawr-Skyway. She lives in the Rainier Beach/Skyway area with her husband and their two youngest children.

Education and Political Experience

Saldaña attended Seattle University, where she became active in farmworker solidarity campaigns. After graduation, she dedicated herself to labor and community organizing, holding several key positions:

• Organizer with Oregon's farmworkers union, PCUN, where she coordinated boycotts of NORPAC Foods
• Community Mobilizer for the Fair Trade Apple Campaign with the United Farm Workers of America
• Union Organizer with Service Employees International Union Local 6 in Seattle
• Community liaison for U.S. Representative Jim McDermott
• Executive Director of Puget Sound Sage, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, transportation equity, environmental justice, and workers' rights

Saldaña was appointed to the Washington State Senate in 2016 to replace Pramila Jayapal after her election to Congress. She quickly became known as a tireless advocate for historically oppressed communities.

Notable Achievements and Current Positions

Legislative Achievements:
- Sponsored and passed the HEAL Act, the first statewide law addressing disproportionate environmental hazards faced by Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color
- Sponsored the Washington Voting Rights Act, which expanded access to democracy for historically marginalized groups

Committee Leadership:
- Chair of the Senate Labor & Tribual Affairs Committee
- Vice Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee
- Serves on Agriculture & Natural Resources, Rules, and Ways & Means committees
- Co-chair of the Senate Members of Color Caucus
- Member of the Latino Democratic Caucus

Board Memberships:
- Rainier Beach Action Coalition
- Alliance of Clean Jobs and Energy
- The Fair Work Center
- Washington Environmental Council