Congressmember Doris Matsui to face challenge from fellow Democrat Mai Vang
Vang's campaign sets up a generational clash with Matsui, who has represented the Sacramento area in Congress since 2005.
Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang formally announced Tuesday she will run for Congress, launching a challenge against longtime Democratic incumbent Doris Matsui in California's 7th Congressional District during the June 2026 primary. Vang's candidacy became apparent with her recent filing with the Federal Election Commission.
Vang, the daughter of Hmong refugees and the eldest of 16 siblings, framed her candidacy as a fight for working families struggling with rising living costs, limited access to health care, and widening inequality. She pledged to reject corporate political action committee donations and vowed to stand up to "billionaires and special interests."
"We are living through dangerous times. The status quo won't protect and save our communities and loved ones — and that's why I'm running for Congress," Vang said in a statement. "Families can't wait any longer. We need leaders ready to step into the ring and fight."
Vang has represented South Sacramento on the City Council since 2020 and helped create the Sacramento Children's Fund, and before that was a trustee on the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of Trustees. If elected, she would be the first Hmong American to serve in Congress.
Her campaign sets up a generational clash with Matsui, who has represented the Sacramento area in Congress since 2005. Should Matsui advance to the November general election, she will be 82 years old at the time of the election.
Several progressive Democrats in the district have argued she is increasingly out of step with younger voters and the region's growing diversity.
California uses a "top-two" primary system, in which the top two candidates in the June 2 primary, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the November general election. While no Republicans have formally entered the race, party strategists have signaled interest, raising the possibility that a Republican candidate could complicate the contest between the two Democrats.
Vang said she intends to build a "people-powered campaign" and urged voters to "imagine, believe in, and fight for a future where every family has the chance to thrive."
