She was appointed by the King County Council to the office to replace Pramila Jayapal after she was elected to the United States House of Representatives.

[4] After graduating from college, Saldaña began her career as an organizer with Oregon's farmworkers union, PCUN.

[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.

In April 2021, Saldaña answered a question and was seen on video in a transportation hearing while driving her vehicle.