Saldaña Appointed to Replace Jayapal in State Senate Seat

SEATTLE (AP) — The King County Council has appointed Rebecca Saldaña as state senator to replace Pramila Jayapal, who was elected to Congress last month.

The Seattle Times reports Saldaña was chosen Monday to fill the 37th District seat.

Saldaña, who heads the progressive labor and environmental organization Puget Sound Sage, was one of three candidates on a short list put forward by the Washington State Democratic Central Committee.

Rory O'Sullivan, managing attorney at the King County Bar Association's Housing Justice Project and chair of the 37th Legislative District Democrats and Shasti Conrad, the chief operating officer of a progressive consulting firm were the other top choices.

Jayapal defeated fellow Democrat Brady Walkinshaw to win the 7th Congressional District seat vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott.