Sen. Rebecca Saldaña represents Washington state’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. A proud Chicana of Mexican and German heritage, Saldaña grew up in Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood. Her upbringing, shaped by economic and environmental challenges, instilled a deep commitment to conservation, resilience, and justice.
Her father, a Mexican immigrant and former farmworker who became a machinist, worked in Georgetown near one of Seattle’s largest polluters. Her mother, a social worker, came from a family of Midwest farmers. These experiences fueled Saldaña’s determination to advocate for communities disproportionately affected by environmental and social injustices.
Saldaña earned a degree in theology and humanities from Seattle University, where she studied theology, Spanish, and feminist philosophy. She began her activism in college, organizing farmworkers in Oregon as part of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), gaining firsthand experience in multiracial organizing. After graduation, she dedicated herself to labor and community organizing, working with Oregon’s farmworker union PCUN, the United Farm Workers, and SEIU Local 6 in Seattle. Her advocacy career later led her to serve as executive director of Puget Sound Sage, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing, transportation equity, environmental justice, and workers’ rights.
In 2016, Saldaña was appointed to the Washington State Senate, where she quickly became known as a tireless advocate for historically oppressed communities. As a legislator, she has led efforts to protect workers’ rights, promote sustainable development, create equitable transportation solutions, and expand voter access.
Saldaña chairs the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee and serves on the Agriculture & Natural Resources, Rules, and Ways & Means committees. She is an active member of the Senate Members of Color Caucus and the Latino Democratic Caucus. She previously served on the Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, where she worked to advance equity in policy and legislative processes.
Her legislative achievements include sponsoring and passing the HEAL Act, the first statewide law addressing the disproportionate environmental hazards faced by Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, and the Washington Voting Rights Act, which has expanded access to democracy for historically marginalized groups.
Saldaña lives in the Rainier Beach/Skyway area with her husband and their two youngest children. She continues to challenge traditional policymaking by bringing impacted communities directly into the legislative process, ensuring voices from all walks of life shape Washington’s future.