United States Representative, District 7

Mai Vang is a Sacramento city councilmember. They were first elected in December 2020. They are a teacher by profession. This is their first run for federal office. They led the June primary against a twenty-one-year member of Congress.

Vang says seniority has not made life better for people in this district. At an August debate, they said the lives of people here have not improved. They pointed to decades of the same representation in Washington. They have pledged to refuse corporate campaign donations. They support abolishing ICE.

Vang promises free health care. They want stronger action on the cost of living. They promise a more confrontational approach toward the current administration than their opponent has taken.

Doris Matsui is a Democrat. She has represented this Sacramento district since 2005. She won a special election that year after her husband, Robert Matsui, died in office. Together the Matsui family has represented Sacramento in Congress for nearly five decades. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She also sits on the Smithsonian's Board of Regents. She has authored bills on diesel pollution. She has also authored bills on funding for the 988 mental health crisis line.

Matsui says building relationships and coalitions in Congress is what gets things done. At an August debate, her opponent said Matsui had taken donations from defense contractors, prison contractors and groups linked to Israel. Matsui said she did not recognize the specific companies being described.

Matsui promises to keep bringing federal money home for infrastructure and flood protection. She wants to expand mental health crisis response. She also wants to reduce diesel pollution in the district.