GOP Elk Grove City Councilmember Spease 'supports' Democrat; Singh-Allen makes impassioned plea for besieged Matsui

Yesterday, Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui announced an endorsement that, on its own, isn't earth-shattering. What made it unusual was that it came from the Elk Grove City Council's only Republican member.

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In a Facebook post, Matsui declared the entire Elk Grove City Council supports her candidacy. As far as we could find, Spease hasn't announced his support, so we'll take the Matsui campaign at their word.

In a race featuring two Democratic candidates, the establishment candidate Matsui and her progressive Democratic opponent, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, the question of Republican participation has arisen.

Will Republicans vote for Matsui, who is closer to the political middle but still considered the enemy? Will Spease's support convince GOP voters to choose what they see as the lesser of two evils?

Or does that anti-establishment strain among Donald Trump supporters push a vote for Vang? Our guess is that most Republicans, including the anti-establishment voters who supported Trump, will sit this one out, a victory of sorts for Vang, who has unapologetically refused to go to the center, the usual playbook for candidates of all stripes advancing to the general election.

Consider two of the comments on Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen's Facebook posting Matsui's announcement of a Republican supporter who appear to be GOP voters:

Conversely, could Matsui's embrace of Republican elected officials backfire? Matsui could argue it shows her willingness to reach across the aisle, a common theme among moderate Democrats and pre-MAGA moderate Republicans.

Polling shows that Democratic establishment elected officials have slightly higher approval ratings than their Republican counterparts, meaning both are poorly perceived. Will Matsui's embrace of a Republican endorsement convince undecided Democratic voters to vote for Vang?

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Singh-Allen's plea

Recently, Matsui also linked a fiery speech by Singh-Allen urging voters to back the ten-term incumbent. The speech can be viewed below.

Matsui's campaign tactics verify several things, chief among them that she faces the toughest reelection opponent of her 21-year elected-office career. Matsui's enlistment of pit bull surrogates like Singh-Allen and her friend and former Elk Grove City Councilmember, Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, shows she is vulnerable and that could end her 50-year Washington, D.C. career.

Furthermore, without either campaign releasing internal polling data, one can surmise Vang and Matsui could be in for a photo finish that will not be determined for several days, if not weeks, after Nov. 3.

Matsui has a significant financial advantage over Vang, which could push this teeter-totter contest in her favor. If Matsui wins, the question becomes whether she will seek another term, and if not, who is brown-nosing right now for her endorsement in the March 2028 California primary.