Alexis Mercedes Rinck’s swearing-in ceremony (Image: City of Seattle)
Rinck, left, and Morales were hoped to be a team inside Seattle City Hall (Image: Tammy Morales)
Just as the Seattle City Council seemed lined up for a progressive push with Tuesday’s swearing in of newly elected citywide representative Alexis Mercedes Rinck, its most liberal veteran lawmaker is resigning citing damaging political battles inside Seattle City Hall and the toll the fight is taking on her mental and physical health.
“For the last 11 months, this Council has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker,” Tammy Morales said in Wednesday’s announcement.
“This role has caused my mental and physical well-being to deteriorate, and this is an unfortunate reality for many women in particular who serve in public office,” Morales said.
Morales has represented South Seattle’s District 2 on the council since 2020 and wasn’t slated to face a reelection battle for years. Her full announcement is below. Her resignation effective is effective January 6th, the first Monday of the new year.
The resignation is overshadowing Tuesday’s ceremony to swear in the council’s newest member.
Rinck finished her race against appointed incumbent Tanya Woo with nearly 60% of the vote across Seattle. As she finishes the term in the seat left open when Teresa Mosqueda left to join the King County Council, Rinck will immediately face an election battle in 2025 for Position 8’s next term. The progressive 43rd District Democrats endorsed Rinck, a queer, Central District Latina who hopes to fully fund city services and get corporations to pay their fair share in taxes. Rinck has said she is “a living testament” to investments in early childhood support and education, and that she understands the importance of investing in youth and city services as someone whose family needed these resources.
She previously served at the King County Regional Homelessness Authority and was also the Assistant Director of Policy Planning and State Operations at the University of Washington.
Rinck was expected to team with Morales as a more progressive legislator on the council in opposition to the body’s majority and council president Sara Nelson who has championed a traditional law and order approach to public safety and pro-business positions when it comes to services and additional tax revenue.
“I am honored to join the Council and look forward to working with them to tackle our city’s most pressing challenges to create a Seattle that works for everyone,” new councilmember Rinck said Tuesday. “The stakes for our city are high, and we must stand firm in defending the rights of women, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, immigrants, and workers against both federal threats and local challenges. Together, we can build a strong, healthy, and inclusive community.”
“I am excited to welcome our newest member, who is ready to hit the ground running,” Nelson said in a Tuesday press release. “Councilmember Rinck joins us at a pivotal time, as we continue to seek common-sense solutions and shared ground to best serve all of Seattle’s residents.”
Now, the council’s first order of business in the new year will be finding a replacement for Morales to fill the seat until an election can be held to select a new District 2 representative.
The full announcement from Morales is below:
“To the People of District 2,
After very careful consideration, I have decided to resign from my position as a Seattle City Councilmember, effective January 6, 2025. Representing the people of Seattle, especially of south Seattle, has been my greatest honor and I will miss the opportunity
to work alongside all of you on behalf of our neighbors. I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished over my tenure, including passing the historic Race and Social Justice ordinance, our Tenants Bill of Rights, and securing over $350 million of investments in
D2 and across the city. I am so thankful for the community organizers, community leaders, students and advocates who have helped to drive the priorities of my Council office for the last five years.However, I am worried about the future of this institution, and my place in it. For the last 11 months, this Council has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker. Since January, this Council has:
Interfered with the ability of our non-partisan Council Central Staff to provide objective policy analysis
Suppressed the will of voters by offering an alternative ballot initiative that would effectively gut the Seattle social housing developer next February
Stifled first amendment rights during public comment by arresting people
Intimidated commenters by having a police presence when any controversial legislation is considered
Witnessed a significant reduction of institutional knowledge through the departure of 3 Council Central policy staff, the entire Council communications team, members of our human resources and finance team, and several legislative aides
Attempted to defund a critical program for addressing anti-displacement and supporting community economic development led by people of color
Passed 11 separate bills to increase the punitive nature of our criminal legal system without any additional meaningful accountability for our police department
And passed a budget that reduces funding for social services for our most vulnerable while dramatically increasing funding for jails, police, and sweeps
This was a very difficult decision. I’ve thought a lot about my responsibility to my constituents and to the Council as an institution. As an elected representative I took an oath to the constitution of the United States, Washington State, and to our City Charter.
Key among those duties is to protect the health, safety, environment, and general welfare of the people. I can no longer, in good conscience, say I am doing this by remaining on this Council.I also have a personal responsibility to my family, who deserve to see me show up whole. This role has caused my mental and physical well-being to deteriorate, and this is an unfortunate reality for many women in particular who serve in public office.
I want to thank all the amazing people who have worked in my office over the last five years, including Darozyl Touch, LaKecia Farmer, Devin Silvernail, Alexis Turla, Imani Carey, Andra Kranzler, Naomi Lewis and Evelyn Chow.
I will be taking time away to spend with my children and care for my ailing father. But know that in my time here, your work, and the community who have shown up despite its repression, have given me hope. I’m not going anywhere. I just need some time to think
about how best to serve the City I love and find the next opportunity to repair the harm done to Black and brown communities, democratize access to power and resources, and plan for the 7th generation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.In community,
Tammy”
UPDATE 11:00 AM: Nelson’s office released a terse statement thanking Morales and focusing on the details of determining her replacement:
“I want to thank Councilmember Morales for her dedicated service to the constituents of District 2. We worked together to pass a number of important pieces of legislation that benefit the people of Seattle, and I wish her and her family well on the next chapter,” said Council President Nelson.
The Seattle City Council will now begin the process of filling the vacancy to serve the people of District 2 until voters elect a candidate in November of 2025. The City Charter gives the City Council 20 calendar days to fill a vacant Council position and this 20-day period begins January 7, 2025. More information about the vacancy-filling process will be available shortly.
“We look forward to considering the great leaders from District 2 who are willing to put themselves forward during this critical period for Seattle as we turn to the Comprehensive Plan and continue our work to enhance public safety and increase accountability,” Nelson said.
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After years of performative dance, kick-backs to interest groups, and extreme politics that frayed the fabric the city of Seattle, she exits the stage throwing bombs wrapped in a cloak of victimhood and returns to her mansion by the lake to sulk. It must have been triggering to be in a room of diverse viewpoints where legislative progress would require compromise.
“…a room of diverse viewpoints…” from A to B.
Astounding comment when considering the wide range of available democratic thought.
Tanya Woo already on the phone to fill a seat she’s never won in an election. Absolute clownshoes council.
How hard it is to be an accelerationist freedom fighter in a room full of people trying to build something on what we currently have. I will not miss Morales and her Sawantian dreams. That she somehow makes it about women holding public office (?!?) is really insulting and counter-productive for the women who actually stick it out and get shit done. Are we pretending that the women in the city council with different political thoughts aren’t women? WTF. Her entire departure letter reads like a sob story that illuminates that she really just misses having more friends in the council. Good riddance, Tammers. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. Now, let’s get to work.
Let’s hope that Ms Morales finds a bunch of time to dedicate to addressing the crime, squalor, and desperation at 12th and Jackson.
Good riddance.
“This role has caused my mental and physical well-being to deteriorate, and this is an unfortunate reality for many women in particular who serve in public office,” Morales said.
I also don’t think throwing a shade on being a woman will be effective. Identity politics hopefully will die after Trump’s landslide. Not to mention Sara Nelson is a woman, Ann Davidson is a woman.
Sorry, not sorry. Sounds like she couldn’t hack not having being in the majority.
Its amazing to see these comments by Nelson council bootlickers.
This council has seriously upturned democracy in this city. They refuse to have public comment, write special interest projects into the budget and continue to do as much as they can to make this city unliveable unless you are a business owner or bought a house before 95.
I seriously don’t see how you creeps can have such a positive outlook on this council and city goverment made up of republic lite freaks. before you cry “seattle is liberal”, remember our crap city attorney ran as a republican and Harrell has constantly been a terrible presence in city council.
You all are reactionary goons whose arguments have no basis in fact or recent history but just of your feeling aggrieved having to living in this city. Sounds a little like a “special interest group” if I do say so. “The protection of whiny boomers and xers whose political involvement ends in a yard sign”
Continue licking that mud and slop up sweethearts
The only reason Ann Davison won was because her opponent was basically a Chesa Boudin and what did that do for SF? He got recalled . The majority of the city including residents of Capitol Hill wanted to see crime actually being addressed.
Feel free to continue calling us bootlickers. We’ll take it as long as Seattle City Council isn’t filled with Trotskyite Marxists and SA members.
I must agree.
🙄 you are going to work yourself into an early coronary..
“Democracy” is voting – have they blocked voting somewhere that I’m unaware of?
We vote for representatives who then legislate. The current and past council were both democratically elected and that hasn’t changed to my knowledge.
Cool it pal. This othering tone you’ve got going on is what creates the platform that got Trump elected twice. We don’t need all this trolly name calling. It’s not helping, it’s anti democratic, and it’s pretty prickish, to be frank. Sleep on it, get some exercise, and eat a balanced meal before continuing to comment.
Sure, yard signs. But don’t forget money. We give lots of that too. Other than that though, you have really nailed us. Sorry if the current state of local politics and general public sentiment doesn’t suit your fancy.
Angry much? (name-calling is never a good way to get your point across).
Lots of ugly comments here, filled with big assumptions about her as a person and her experience on the council. Have any of you actually interacted with her? Somehow I doubt it. (I haven’t either, but I feel no need to assume the worst about her.)
She’s nice enough and I think had her heart in the right place. She had good thoughts on urban planning.
She lined up behind crazy wacko stuff from Sawant and her ilk though on the basics of city governance. That’s where Seattle fell apart.
Not sure which you are referring to, but she has, ostensibly been and done much of what is being called out here. I’ll third the concern about her making it about being a woman in politics. Odd that there is a female majority on the council.
A lot of us tried to interact with her but she never ever return constituents’ emails. Are you going to blame us for that?
Same as Sawant. Crickets.
Well no I haven’t “interacted”. But she kind of helped to fuck this city. Did I need to interact before criticizing?
Millions “assume” the worst about Trump without ever having interacted with him, either…just saying.
Rather than remain in a position of power allowing her to most effectively address the supposedly heinous acts committed by Council, she resigns. There are women everywhere who possess the intellect and intestinal fortitude required to toil productively while in the minority. I will mention Sarah Nelson, who kept working even when her views and approaches were denigrated and ignored by the previous Council majority. She is a person who sticks with it even when it isn’t easy, Just say you resigned to care for your ailing father and we would respect your décision. Throwing other women under the bus as too frail to endure the trials of public office was unnecessary and unwise.
“I will mention Sarah Nelson, who kept working even when her views and approaches were denigrated and ignored by the previous Council majority. She is a person who sticks with it even when it isn’t easy,”
Very true! It takes a lot of guts to constantly throw your constituents under the bus. I’m sure she was waiting patiently until she had an anti-Seattle majority and could really stick it to us.
Yes, the current majority is “anti-Seattle.” They must also be the enemy within. Of course they were elected by the majority of Seattle voters. Does that make them anti-Seattle too? You see, what is really happening is voters wanted to see the city move in a different direction. They elected people who pledged to do just that, and those people are now trying to accomplish the task. Noone, including the previous Progressive majority, is anti-Seattle. We just have different visions of where the city should go.
Right, because the lowest turnout in recent history, where each candidate barely won their race, is a clear mandate to completely change the city into an anti-Seattle direction. It’s very similar to the next presidential administration, who is taking a narrow victory in the popular vote as a mandate to set our country back decades.
And yes, the current Council is about as anti-Seattle as it gets. A non-exhaustive list of things they’ve done and it hasn’t even been a year:
Not sure how you can say they are pro-Seattle with all that and more.
morales is the worst, she doesn’t care at all about or talk with her constituents. she read the writing on the wall, no chance of her doing any more damage on this council. good riddance.
So glad she is finally gone.
She has discovered that we have moved past her failed policies and don’t want more of the same.
Instead of working in compromise with what a clear majority of the city wants, she runs away.
I hope the right wing trolls infesting these comments enjoy a life exactly as pleasant as they are.