2025 Endorsements
Seattle City Council & Attorney
Pos. 9, WE ARE PROUD TO ENDORSE:
Dionne Foster
Bio
Dionne has spent the last 15 years working towards improved access and outcomes for all people, but especially the most vulnerable. Her dedication to working hard for what is right was cemented at an early age through experiencing economic challenges and seeking out opportunity. Dionne was raised by a single mother who served in the Army and later worked as a teacher, but despite her family’s hard work they struggled to make ends meet. To help support her family, she worked two jobs in high school starting off as a fast-food worker and hostess. In those jobs she worked with people who were supporting their families on just above minimum wage, shaping her perspective on economic justice and strong labor standards.
Dionne put herself through college with grants, loans and working part-time jobs. She was honored to earn the Spirit of King Award as an undergraduate for her commitment to civil rights and justice and the Dennis-Weathers award for dedication to increasing cross-cultural awareness. While working as a waitress after graduation, Dionne welcomed her son and was able to do so with the support of affordable healthcare through Apple Health. She then went on to earn her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington, where she returned to train students as an adjunct faculty member. Later, the Seattle Downpayment Assistance Program made homeownership possible for Dionne and her family, providing the foundation for housing stability and generational wealth.
Because of the opportunities she was given, Dionne has been able to commit her career to the service of improving people’s lives through work in nonprofits, government and philanthropy.
She lives in South Seattle with her son and their COVID rescue dog. She’s a lifetime WNBA fan (Go Storm!) and loves to be outside, rain, snow or shine. Dionne is a proud gardener and donates some of her yield every year to our local food banks.
POS. 8, WE'RE PROUD TO ENDORSE:
Alexis Mercedes Rinck
Bio
Alexis Mercedes Rinck has a reputation for bringing people together around solutions – and making them happen.
She has spent her life taking on the tough fights: championing regional agreements at the Sound Cities Association, and King County Regional Homelessness Authority, organizing marches against the actions of the Trump Administration, advocating for fair elections and campaign finance reform, and persevering through an adverse childhood.
Born to struggling parents who were just teenagers, Alexis’ grandparents stepped in to help raise her. Growing up, she witnessed firsthand her own family deal with the cycles of incarceration, substance use, and homelessness. But she is thankful to have had support in her community and access to resources that gave her a pathway to a better future.
With financial aid and scholarships, Alexis was able to attend Syracuse University, where she worked in restaurants and got her start in politics fighting and successfully banning hydrofracking in New York State and improving consumer protections.
As a young organizer, she has canvassed and fundraised for Planned Parenthood, educated on the impact of corporate/dark money in politics, and united grassroots organizations to protest Trump’s harmful policies. She is proud to have been awarded a “Woman Leader of the Year,” and a leader for LGBTQ+ justice.
After graduating with degrees in political science and sociology, Alexis moved to Seattle to attend the Evans School at the University of Washington and start her career in public policy. Alexis fights for progressive change and housing equity because she knows what it is to struggle. She is a living example that when we invest in young people to break cycles of trauma, we can change generations to come.
She has used her policy expertise to support human services and public health for the 38 member cities of the Sound Cities Association, to direct emergency and severe weather response plans for people living unsheltered in cities across King County, and to lead fiscal policy analysis and budgeting for higher education currently at the University of Washington.
Having witnessed firsthand the difficult circumstances that so many people in our communities are facing today, Alexis is ready to bring that experience to the City Council and be a real voice for the people of Seattle. She is a renter, a transit rider, a former restaurant worker, and a multi-racial woman.
She lives in the Central District and volunteers in her free time with Plant-Based Food Shares, ensuring families have access to fresh produce. She will bring important representation and an abundance of expertise to Seattle City Council to make sure Seattle is a place we can all be proud to call home.
