I am running for King County Council because I believe government should work for everyday people and deliver real results for the communities it serves. District 2 deserves leadership that understands both the lived experiences of residents and how County government operates internally.

As someone who has experienced homelessness, food insecurity, mental health struggles, and as the daughter of a man who was incarcerated, I understand personally how deeply government systems impact people’s lives. I know what it feels like when families are struggling to find stability, support, and opportunity, and those experiences shaped my commitment to public service and community advocacy. As an immigrant, I also understand many of the barriers families face while trying to build security and opportunity for future generations.

For the past seven years, I have worked inside King County government, where I have gained firsthand experience with County budgeting, operations, contracting, and community partnerships. I understand how decisions made at the County level directly impact housing, transportation, behavioral health services, public safety, and economic opportunity across our communities.

King County manages a $20 billion biennial budget while serving more than 2.2 million residents across 39 cities and unincorporated communities. That responsibility requires thoughtful stewardship, transparency, collaboration, and a commitment to ensuring resources are reaching the people and programs that need them most.

My priorities include housing affordability and homelessness prevention, behavioral health and addiction treatment, transit access, youth opportunity, economic stability for working families, and community-centered public safety. I believe we must focus not only on crisis response, but also on prevention, long-term stability, and building systems that help people thrive before they reach crisis.

District 2 deserves leadership that listens, leads with empathy, and understands these systems from both personal and professional experience. I would be honored to earn your vote.

People across our district are tired of hearing promises made but not seeing them kept. The cost of living keeps climbing; housing, childcare, and groceries are too expensive. Our communities pay the price for the lack of state support, as local governments are left underfunded and overstretched. Our district deserves investments and outcomes. People deserve to live in the communities they love. The moment for courage and change is now. 

This fight is personal. I’m raising my children on Beacon Hill in the same home my grandparents bought after being released from a Japanese American concentration camp. I’ve watched neighbors have to leave because of politicians who don’t understand the consequences of their votes. We deserve better.

Under Governor Inslee, I led a state agency where we fought for economic development, directed vital resources to local small businesses, and delivered aid to communities facing healthcare crises. At King County's Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, I led critical reforms to advance police accountability and establish the grassroots, community-driven solutions needed to prevent gun violence. As Port Commissioner, I’m delivering on affordability by creating a childcare center and securing good union jobs with real benefits. 

As your County Councilmember, I will build affordable housing, promote safe and reliable public transit, protect renters, and expand childcare access. I will fund mental health systems and invest in community-led strategies that stop gun violence before it tears another family apart. I will bring real accountability and oversight to our county, and champion progressive funding options so the ultra-wealthy pay their share.

City Attorney Erika Evans, Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Eddie Lin, former Governor Inslee, legislators, labor unions, Democratic organizations, and over 100 progressive District 2 community leaders endorse me because they’ve seen me deliver on what I promised. Let’s choose a better future.

I’m running for King County Council to build more housing that is affordable at any income, raise wages, improve transit, and make universal childcare a reality. Making King County a place every family can afford will require transformational change, and that’s exactly what I have been doing in the state senate for a decade. 

Too many families are choosing between paying for rent or health insurance. As the daughter of a formerly undocumented Mexican farmworker, I will never stop fighting to protect our communities from masked ICE agents terrorizing our neighbors and corporations stealing our wages. 

In the state senate, I championed and passed taxes on the ultra-wealthy, including the Capital Gains Tax and Millionaires Tax, to fund the essential services we need. As Labor Committee Chair, I passed the most progressive Paid Family and Medical Leave programs in the country and passed a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights to ensure fairness and dignity for care workers. I also delivered on landmark investments in affordable housing, transit, and community investments.

I’m proud to have earned the sole endorsement of the King County Democrats. I’ll bring new energy and proven leadership to the council to expand behavioral health and crisis response, improve transit access, and lower costs for working families. Addressing our toughest challenges will mean standing up to powerful special interests and never compromising on our values. That’s what I’ve spent my life doing.

Endorsements: King County Councilmembers Mosqueda, Perry, Balducci, and Gossett (fmr); Seattle City Councilmembers Foster, Hollingsworth, and Lin; progressive legislators Scott, Macri, Farivar, Street, and Javier Valdez; unions representing essential workers (SEIU 775, SEIU 925, and UFCW 3000); county employees (PROTEC17; Teamsters 28, 117, 174, and 763; and AFSCME Council 2); machinists (IAM 751); graduate students (UAW 6); more at rebeccasaldana.com!