Today we are profiling Alexis Mercedes Rinck (she/her), a queer Latina millennial who was elected councilwoman for Position 8 on the Seattle City Council who is running for re-election on the Democratic ticket. She won a special election last year by running to the left of the appointed councilmember. Born to two teenage gang members, Alexis’s father spent her whole childhood incarcerated and went on to face chronic homelessness and substance abuse disorder, while her mother ended up losing custody in the throes of the juvenile detention system, so Alexis was raised by her grandparents. Alexis is passionate about housing reform, fighting climate change, and protecting immigrant communities from ICE.

Where are you based?
I'm based in Seattle, Washington, where I live in the Central District. I'm a renter and transit rider who chooses not to own a car — I take the bus, lightrail, and bike everywhere. This keeps me deeply connected to the everyday experiences of Seattleites navigating our city.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
I'm a Seattle City Councilmember representing the Citywide Position 8, which we call "the people's office". I was sworn in this past December after winning a record-breaking election with over 215,000 votes — the most ever received by a Seattle politician. I'm currently running for re-election in 2025 for a full four-year term.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
My platform centers on "policies that invest in people first." I focus on seven core areas: progressive revenue, housing and affordability, worker protections, safe communities, climate action, transit and mobility, and Seattle for all. Everything I do is guided by evidence-based, community-informed solutions that address the root causes of inequity rather than just treating symptoms.

What inspired you to run?
I was brought to doing this work because of my upbringing. I am proudly raised by my grandparents, I was born to teenagers caught in the cycles of gang violence, substance use disorder and homelessness. But I got the chance to grow up in a resourced community, in a proud union household and I was given the tools I needed to heal. I am here because of good public schools with teachers who saw me and intervened when I needed it. I’m here because of the Boys and Girls Club and my local library. I stand here today as a living testament to when we invest in young people, regardless of their beginnings, we can change generations. My birth dad is alive today because of a transitional housing program. We need to protect those investments for working families and those in need — this is what has fueled my career in public service.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I am working to build a connected city where everyone is healthy and housed regardless of income. We need to build 112,000 new homes over the next 20 years to address the housing shortage, and I'm championing social housing development that keeps units permanently affordable. I’m hoping to catalyze the transition to our green energy future through our work at Seattle City Light, balance our tax code so corporations and the ultra wealthy pay what they owe, improve transit connections across the city and promote walkability of our neighborhoods, and shepherd a thriving arts and culture sector.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I've been in office since December 2024, so just about eight months. Despite being the newest councilmember, I've already achieved significant policy wins. My biggest accomplishment is the Seattle Shield Initiative — a comprehensive business and occupation tax reform I developed with Mayor Harrell that lowers taxes for 90% of Seattle’s businesses, giving all of our small businesses needed relief, while raising $90 million annually from the top 10% largest businesses and corporations. I spearheaded the creation of a dedicated committee on Federal Administration and Policy Changes to focus the council on addressing the harmful impacts of the Trump regime. I’ve also introduced affordable housing legislation which will support more affordable housing development in areas that have locked people of color out of homeownership opportunities.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Housing is our most urgent crisis. We have a severe shortage that's pricing out working families and contributing to homelessness. I fought for and secured progressive revenue for our Seattle Social Housing Developer, I support comprehensive zoning reform which will allow for more density across the city, and I am pushing for anti-displacement protections for communities of color.

Additionally, climate action is equally critical — people of color and working-class communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change, so I'm pushing for clean energy investments and expanded tree canopy in South Seattle's urban heat islands.

Lastly, the Trump Regime poses a real threat to the livelihoods of many Seattleites. Our immigrant neighbors, the LGBTQ+ community, and our most vulnerable neighbors are being targeted. That’s why I’m pushing for policy changes and investments to backfill federal cuts and shield our residents from these harmful impacts.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
I believe in leading with our shared values rather than our differences. My partnership with Mayor Harrell on tax reform shows that when we focus on common goals - like supporting small businesses while ensuring large corporations pay their fair share - we can build unexpected coalitions. I approach every conversation by listening first and finding where our interests align. Even when I'm often the lone progressive voice on council, I maintain collaborative relationships because effective governance requires working together. We unite Americans by delivering tangible results that improve working people's daily lives. I wholeheartedly believe there is a lot more that unites us, than divides us. Right now, wealth inequality is at an all time high and billionaires are robbing the American people of our futures. That should be our uniting focus because everyday working people of this country deserve to thrive, not just billionaires.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
My identity as a queer Latina gives me an understanding of how policies impact real families. When I vote on housing legislation, I'm thinking about my own family's experience with homelessness. When I work on immigration policy, I carry the stories of my Salvadoran ancestors fleeing civil war and my Ashkenazi Jewish great-grandparents escaping persecution — people who saw America as their last hope for survival. I've analyzed homelessness data while remembering my father's journey from addiction to recovery through transitional housing. This isn't abstract policy work for me — it's personal, and that urgency drives me to demand solutions that actually work.

Too often, policies are crafted by people who've never lived their consequences. I bring something different: the ability to translate academic research into human terms and turn lived experience into transformative policy. When I advocate for social housing or progressive taxation, I'm not just citing studies — I'm fighting for the families like mine who need the government to be a force for liberation, not oppression.

My identity is my superpower because it reminds me every day that behind every statistic is a person whose life can be transformed by bold, compassionate governance. That's the perspective Seattle needs on its City Council.

What is your motto in life?
Hope is a discipline, and sometimes pessimism is a luxury you can’t afford.

Where can we find out more about you?
You can visit my website at alexisforseattle.com, follow me on social media @alexismercedesrinck on Instagram and @AlexisforSeattle on TikTok, or contact my office directly at AlexisMercedes.Rinck@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8808.

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Seattle City Council Position 8