Aug. 27 Showdown: Doris Matsui Agrees to First One-on-One Debate in Years
The Aug. 27 forum will provide voters with one of their first opportunities to see the two candidates discuss policy differences side by side
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui and Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang have agreed to face each other in what is expected to be the first debate of California's 7th Congressional District general election campaign, according to a statement issued this afternoon on behalf of 21 Sacramento neighborhood organizations.
The debate-style forum is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the Coloma Community Center Auditorium, 4623 T St, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. The event is being co-hosted by 21 Sacramento neighborhood and community associations and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Sacramento County.
Members of the public may submit questions in advance through the League of Women Voters, and the candidates will also have the opportunity to question each other directly during the forum. The event will be filmed and livestreamed by Access Sacramento.
The debate marks a notable departure for Matsui, who has not participated in debates during her recent reelection campaigns. After Vang's entrance, Matsui held her first town hall meeting in years earlier this year.
It also represents the first significant general election challenge Matsui has faced since winning the March 2005 special election following the death of her husband, longtime Congressman Robert Matsui. Robert Matsui was first elected to Congress in 1978 and served until his death in January 2005. Doris Matsui won the special election later that year and has represented the district ever since.
This year's race has emerged as one of California's most closely watched Democratic primaries-turned-general elections after Vang, a Sacramento city councilmember backed by progressive organizations, finished ahead of Matsui in the June primary. The outcome signaled growing dissatisfaction among some Democratic voters with long-serving incumbents and drew national attention to the race.
The Aug. 27 forum will provide voters with one of their first opportunities to see the two candidates discuss policy differences side by side. The event comes as Vang seeks to portray herself as a generational alternative to the 21-year incumbent, while Matsui is expected to emphasize her congressional seniority and legislative experience.
Organizers said both candidates have also been invited to meet with attendees before and after the forum. For more information, please email: ElmhurstNeigborhoodAssocSac@gmail.com
