Alexis Mercedes Rinck

Alexis Mercedes Rinck (born 1995) is an American politician who has served as an at-large member of the Seattle City Council since November 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated incumbent appointed Councilmember Tanya Woo in the 2024 Seattle City Council special election.

Early life and education Rinck was born in Pacifica, California to teenage parents who met in a gang and was primarily raised by her grandparents. She attended Syracuse University where she earned her Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology, and while in school she was a community organizer and fundraiser for Planned Parenthood. She then moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and worked as a waitress while at school. While at the KCRHA, she developed the multi-jurisdictional five-year plan focusing on spending money to address homelessness on a regional scale. Before running for office, Rinck worked at the University of Washington as an assistant director of policy planning and state operations. Community activist Tanya Woo was appointed to the seat until the November 2024 special election. Whoever won that election would only serve until December 2025, when the original term expired. and would have to run for reelection in November 2025. Rinck became the first of Woo's four challengers, focusing her campaign on evidence-based solutions and solving the city's budget deficit through progressive taxes.

In the August primary, Rinck came in first with 50.18%, with Woo coming in second with 38.38%. During a September debate, Rinck criticized Woo and the council for approving the Stay Out of Drug Area (SODA) and Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) areas in the city and not funding social services with progressive taxes. Woo defended the legislation saying the zones would help address public safety issues in high-crime areas, and criticized Rinck for the high cost of the five-year plan Rinck shepherded while at the KCRHA. She took office on November 26, following certification of the election. She drew four challengers for the primary, which included Republican Rachael Savage, Bishop Ray Rogers, and Cascade Party of Washington board member Jesse James. In the August primary, Rinck came in first in a landslide, with 78% of the vote, and advanced to the general election with Savage, who earned 13%. Of the four city-wide incumbents running for reelection, Rinck was the only one to come in first in the primary. Savage ran on amending the law to allow police to arrest drug addicts, supported working with the Trump Administration, and criticized Rinck for her support of the housing-first model. In August 2025, the city council unanimously passed the proposal which will be before the voters for final approval in the November general election. In the November general election, voters overwhelmingly passed the proposition with 71% voting yes.

In March 2026, the city council unanimously passed two of Rinck's bills aimed at curbing the Trump administration's immigration enforcement activities in the city. One bill created a 1-year moratorium on new detention centers, the other would mandate a 60-day pause of city surveillance technology if used for civil immigration enforcement and/or threatens a citizen's access to reproductive justice or gender-affirming care.

Electoral history 2024 election

2025 election