County Council Appoints Rebecca Saldaña to State Senate

December 12, 2016

Summary

“I want to thank the residents of the 37th District for their commitment to justice, inclusion, and dignity.”

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council has selected Puget Sound Sage Executive Director Rebecca Saldaña to fill the vacancy in the position of State Senator for the 37th Legislative District. The vacancy was created by the election of Pramila Jayapal to the U.S. House of Representatives. Saldaña was sworn into office at the King County Courthouse this afternoon.

“I want to thank the residents of the 37th District for their commitment to justice, inclusion, and dignity,” said Saldaña upon her swearing in. “We must ensure our laws bend towards justice so that our kids have a fair chance to thrive.”

Saldaña has been working with Puget Sound Sage (PSS) since 2011 and has been its Executive Director since 2014. PSS’s mission is “to build communities where all families thrive.” To achieve its mission, PSS uses a combination of research, policy, leadership development, and civic engagement.

“I am extremely pleased that my colleagues and I utilized the lens of Equity and Social Justice in selecting Rebecca Saldaña as our new 37th District State Senator. I have no doubt she’ll effectively represent all members of her district,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, who petitioned his colleagues in supporting her appointment.

Pursuant to the State Constitution, the King County Democratic Party submitted three names for consideration: Saldaña, attorney Rory O’Sullivan, and Shasti Conrad, COO of a progressive consulting firm. All three candidates were interviewed by the members of the Council before Saldaña was selected.

“Saldaña is well-equipped to face the challenges of the upcoming legislative session,” said Council Chair Joe McDermott. “She will be a strong and thoughtful representative for the residents of the 37th District.”

If she seeks to continue in the Senate beyond November 2017, she will have to run in the November 2017 General Election to fill the remainder of former Senator Jayapal’s term, which was due to expire in 2018.