Edmonds was born Rachael Fati Poe, in North Shore, Auckland, to parents Selani (Fale’ula, Faleatiu) and Palepa (Safotu, Fasito’o)[3] who had immigrated from Western Samoa in 1978.

[4] She received praise for her work on the Arms (Prohibited Firearms, Magazines, and Parts) Amendment Bill, which was passed following the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

[20][21] As a first-term member of Parliament, Edmonds attracted praise from National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who complimented her select committee work and described her as "very, very smart [and] very, very considered.

"[22] In late 2022, New Zealand Herald journalist Audrey Young ranked her second highest of the 42 new MPs who entered Parliament in 2020.

[31] With finance minister Grant Robertson, Edmonds announced a new tax on multinational companies that provide digital services in New Zealand.

[36] Following the resignation of Grant Robertson in mid February 2024, Edmonds assumed the finance portfolio during a shadow cabinet reshuffle.