Press Release - Sacramento Bee Endorses Mai Vang for California's 7th Congressional District
Paper calls for "a much-needed and historic changing of the guard for Sacramento in Washington"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 22, 2026
SACRAMENTO, CA — The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board has endorsed Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang in the race for California's 7th Congressional District, calling her "truly a people's candidate" and urging voters to support "a new generation of Democrats in Washington with fire and conviction."
The Bee's endorsement marks the first time the paper has backed a challenger in this seat in over two decades — and it comes after incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui refused the Editorial Board's invitation to debate Vang and participate in the endorsement process, which the Bee said "disqualified Matsui from consideration."
In its editorial, the Bee wrote that Vang "embodies today's Sacramento" while Matsui "does not," adding that Matsui "has chosen to distance herself from voters she is supposed to serve."
In response, Mai Vang released the following statement:
"I am deeply honored to earn the Sacramento Bee's endorsement. This campaign has been built from the ground up, no corporate PACs, full transparency, and this recognition reflects the kind of politics our district deserves. Rep. Matsui's refusal to meet with voters, the press, or answer hard questions about her record speaks for itself. The people of this district deserve a representative who shows up. Voters are demanding a new generation of leadership and I’m ready for this moment."
The Bee highlighted Vang's deep roots in the community and her personal stake in the issues facing working families. “Vang is capable of representing the needs of working class Sacramento families struggling to make ends meet because she is one herself. Vang has to look no further than her checkbook to know the challenges of these economic times. The eldest of 16 children, Vang has yet to pay off her student loans. Her husband works extra shifts. California’s affordability crisis isn’t some distant problem to Mai Vang. She lives it every single day.”
The editorial also noted the historic nature of Vang's candidacy: there is currently no Hmong American serving in the United States Congress. "How extraordinary it would be," the Bee wrote, "if the first came from Sacramento."
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