‘I don’t have the luxury of waiting’: Mai Vang envisions a government for working people

‘I don’t have the luxury of waiting’: Mai Vang envisions a government for working people Categories: Election 2026 Featured News Politics Top ‘I don’t have the luxury of waiting’: Mai Vang envisions a government for working people The current 8th district Sacramento city councilwoman is challenging one of California’s political institutions Jack Dann, Managing Editor • October 12, 2026 Jack Dann Sacramento city councilmember Mai Vang is running against Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui for California’s 7th Congressional District seat. The election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Mai Vang For Us, Graphic created in Canva by Jack Dann) For congressional candidate and current Sacramento city councilwoman Mai Vang, her current battle for California’s 7th Congressional District seat is one that will define politics in the region and across the nation.  Vang is a part of a growing progressive movement that has swept across the country, a movement that aims to upset the Democratic status quo and capture the attention of voters everywhere ahead of the midterms.  “I’ve always said this race is more than just about one congressional seat; it is about the future of this country,” Vang said. “Do we want business as usual, or do we want a new generation of leaders?” The burgeoning left-wing movement includes some of the Democratic Party’s rising stars, like Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros, Pennsylvania congressional candidate Chris Rabb and Michigan congressional candidate Donavan McKinney, all of whom endorsed Vang in late September.  “We have a wave of progressive elected leaders who are demanding more of the Democratic Party to meet the needs of working families,” Vang said.  Vang, a daughter of Laotian immigrants, was born and raised in Sacramento and has served on Sacramento’s city council since 2020. She’s also been a lecturer at Sacramento State since 2015, teaching in the department of ethnic studies.  “Last year, I was asked by the community to consider running against the incumbent because we felt that we didn’t have the leadership at the national level to meet the moment.” Vang said. “I don’t take running against an incumbent lightly. I always knew that it was going to be an uphill battle.” Vang’s opponent, Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui, will have served in Congress for nearly 22 years by the end of her current term, making her one of the region’s longest-serving elected officials. Matsui took office in a special election after her husband, Robert Matsui, died in 2005.  Matsui represents a political dynasty in Northern California, reflected in the numerous streets and buildings carrying the Matsui name. For Vang, challenging an incumbent from her own party, especially one as prominent as Matsui, represents a break from the political traditions that have historically shaped Democratic politics. “It is the unspoken rule among local electeds that you don’t do what Mai Vang is doing, you don’t take on an incumbent,” Vang said. “You kind of either wait your turn or wait on the sidelines.” She says that the current political climate has made waiting an unacceptable option. “I don’t have the luxury of waiting when our democracy is under attack, when our family and loved ones are being separated by ICE,” Vang said. RELATED: ‘It’s up to these kids to make a difference’: Sacramento high school students rally against ICE That sense of urgency extends beyond her criticism of the Trump administration. Vang also places responsibility on the Democratic establishment, arguing that the party’s inability to address the concerns of working-class Americans, such as the rising cost of living and housing, has contributed to its electoral struggles. California’s jungle primary style of election pits two Democrats against one another, but despite sharing a political party, Vang has sought to distinguish herself from Matsui through both her political philosophy and her approach to governing. “Established politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, created the conditions for what we have today, and Democrats lost to Trump twice,” Vang said. “The reason is because the establishment is incredibly out of touch with working families.” Central to that distinction is her refusal to accept corporate contributions, in the form of political action committees, or PAC’s. Vang argues that rejecting corporate donations allows elected officials to prioritize the needs of their constituents rather than the interests of wealthy donors. Her campaign centers around three defining policy positions: Medicare for All, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and removing money from politics. For Vang, those priorities better address the economic challenges facing working-class Americans, than the Democratic standard over the last decade.  “We live in the richest state, in the richest country in the world, yet we can’t provide healthcare to all of our residents,” Vang said. “Families right now are having to choose between putting food on the table or delaying healthcare.” While Vang’s criticism of the Democratic establishment extends to national politics, many of the issues driving her campaign are rooted in the economic challenges facing Sacramento-area residents. Affordability, particularly the rising cost of housing, has become a central concern for voters throughout the region. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, 51.7% of renting households spend 30% or more of their gross income on rent.   Vang said conversations with residents in Sacramento, Lodi, Galt, Placerville and Elk Grove have revealed similar frustrations about the rising cost of living, concerns she has also encountered among younger voters and college students. “When I speak to students, young students as well, everyone’s talking about how tough it is to survive right now,” Vang said. For college students preparing to enter the workforce, Vang argues that those financial pressures have created uncertainty about their ability to establish themselves after graduation. “The world is rapidly changing,” Vang said. “We need folks who understand and will have to actually live with the consequences of those policy decisions.” On housing, Vang supports expanding the federal government’s role in affordable development, arguing that the private market alone cannot adequately address the country’s housing shortage. “The free market does not meet the needs of working families,” Vang said. “While big banks and for-profit developers continue to profit off of working families, we are not able to build the homes that we need, affordable homes.” Among her proposals is a $200 billion national affordable housing trust fund, which would increase federal investment in affordable housing development. Vang also supports expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, a federal program designed to encourage private investment in affordable rental housing, alongside stronger federal tenant protections. If elected, Vang’s stated that her top priority will be to unwind harmful policies enacted by the current federal administration.  “In the first 100 days, it’s going to be incredibly important for us to restore all of the cuts made to food assistance programs and Medicaid,” Vang said.  Under the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” government spending on Medicaid was reduced by nearly $800 billion. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill would reduce the number of people covered by Medicaid by at least 7.6 million.   She emphasizes the need for restoring accountability to the highest levels of government, and plans to hold hearings and investigations for the Trump administration, highlighting what she refers to as harm done by an authoritarian government.   “In 2028, we’re going to have this window, hopefully we [the Democrats] will have control of the House, the Senate and the presidency in 2028,” Vang said. “If we do not elect bold and courageous leaders to have the political will to do this, we’re going to be right back where we started.” Editor’s Note: The State Hornet has reached out to Congresswoman Doris Matsui’s campaign and has received no response at the time of publication. 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Jack started covering the women’s basketball beat for The State Hornet and has primarily covered the football team ever since. Before The State Hornet, Jack grew a social media platform covering the NBA, averaging ~500k views across platforms monthly. Post-graduation, Jack hopes to continue covering sports professionally.