Saldaña was born in Seattle and raised in the Delridge neighborhood. Saldaña earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theology and humanities from Seattle University.[4]
After graduating from college, Saldaña began her career as an organizer with Oregon's farmworkers union, PCUN. She served as a Union Organizer with Service Employees International Union Local 6 in Seattle and as the community liaison for U.S. Representative Jim McDermott.[5] At the time of her appointment, Saldaña was the executive director of Puget Sound Sage, a progressive advocacy group.[3] Saldaña gave her first speech from the Senate floor on January 16, 2017, in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr.[6]
Saldaña currently serves on the boards of Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Alliance of Clean Jobs and Energy, The Fair Work Center, and the Washington Environmental Council. She is a former board member of the Latino Community Fund of Washington.[5]
As of April 2021, Saldaña is the vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. In April 2021, Saldaña answered a question and was seen on video in a transportation hearing while driving her vehicle. She later apologized.[7][8]
