Alexis Mercedes Rinck
Welcome to Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck's website. As a citywide Councilmember for Position 8, she represents all of Seattle. You can contact her by emailing AlexisMercedes.Rinck@seattle.gov or by calling 206-684-8808.
Councilmember Rinck is committed to progressive revenue solutions, affordable housing, worker protections, public safety, and climate action. She has a clear plan to tackle Seattle’s budget crisis, expand housing supply to meet the city's growing needs, and protect workers’ rights. Her public safety approach focuses on community engagement and trust-building, while her climate action plan prioritizes equity and sustainability. With a reputation as a pragmatic and visionary leader, Rinck’s deep expertise and lived experience as a renter, transit rider, and multi-racial woman shape her approach to public service.
Born in Pacifica, California, to teenage parents and raised by her grandparents, Alexis Mercedes Rinck witnessed firsthand the cycles of incarceration, substance use, and homelessness within her family.
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 was honored as a "Woman Leader of the Year" for her work advancing LGBTQ+ justice.
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.
