About Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck

Councilmember Rinck is known for bringing people together around solutions and making them happen. Born to teenage parents and raised by her grandparents, she witnessed firsthand the cycles of incarceration, substance use, and homelessness within her own family. These experiences didn’t define her, they fueled her. 

Rinck's academic journey began at Syracuse University, where she earned a degree in political science and sociology. During her time at Syracuse, she became an outspoken advocate for progressive causes, successfully leading efforts to ban hydrofracking in New York State and improve consumer protections. She also worked as a community organizer, advocating for campaign finance reform and mobilizing grassroots organizations to protest harmful policies under the Trump Administration. She has been honored by various institutions as "Woman Leader of the Year", “Universal Woman”, and she is also a Remembrance Scholar, and Jackson Leadership Fellow (2021).

She continued her studies at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, where she developed expertise in policy analysis. As a policy analyst for the Sound Cities Association and later as a director at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), Rinck led initiatives that helped reshape how the region addresses homelessness. Her efforts included securing a multi-jurisdictional agreement for homeless services and creating a countywide database of over 450 service programs. She has made waves around the region — supporting public health and human services policy across 38 cities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and working on the University of Washington’s $10 billion budget. 

As a councilmember, Alexis has spearheaded the creation of a dedicated Committee on Federal Policy Changes to respond in real time to federal attacks on Seattle, She’s been a fierce fighter for working families and strengthening protections for all Seattle residents. Whether fighting for union-built social housing, immigrant rights, or progressive revenue solutions, Alexis brings the same fierce determination that carried her from hardship to City Hall.