About Mai

EARLY LIFE

Mai is the daughter of Hmong refugees, born and raised in Sacramento. Mai’s parents fled war in Laos and arrived in California to find a new life.

As the oldest of 16 children, she helped raise her siblings while working hard to build a career dedicated to helping her community thrive. Mai is a proud product of public schools and was the first in her family to attend college. As a young organizer, Mai returned home to serve the community that raised and supported her.

A young man and a young woman holding a baby, standing outdoors in front of a house and a tree.

A young girl standing in front of a school sign that reads 'Phoebe Hearst Basic School,' with a large apple illustration on a bulletin board behind her.

A woman in a graduation cap and gown with a flower lei, standing with two adults outdoors during sunset, at a graduation ceremony.

ORGANIZER

When schools in her neighborhood were threatened with closure, Mai understood the catastrophic impact that would have on our community. But she didn’t just talk about it, she acted by co-founding Hmong Innovating Politics to organize parents to fight for their children’s educational future.

As an organizer, Mai fought to make Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement, a vision that became a reality during her time as a Sacramento City USD school board member. In 2016, under the first Trump administration, Mai championed and passed the first-ever Safe Haven Resolution in the State of California, ensuring that our schools remained a place of safety and protection for all students and families, regardless of immigration status. A protection that students and families continue to have in Trump 2.0.

Four seniors and a younger woman outdoors in a park, engaging in conversation and laughing, with trees and greenery in the background.

Two women participating in a demonstration, one holding a sign that reads 'Save Our Schools,' and the other speaking into a megaphone.

NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATE

Mai has delivered for her community and the City of Sacramento in her first term. By working with community advocates, Mai led one of the most linguistically diverse community-run vaccination clinics in the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under her leadership, we established the first-ever Sacramento Children’s Fund, dedicating $8–10 million annually to support children and youth impacted by poverty, violence, and trauma. Mai also secured over $40 million in public investments to strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for youth, seniors, and families.

A woman speaking into a microphone at a protest, with signs in the background including one that reads 'PROTECT IMMIGRANTS' and another partially visible that mentions 'CONTRIBUTORS'.