Vang says California’s 7th District race is ‘still early’ as Matsui retains lead
Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, has taken the early lead over Sacramento Councilmember Mai Vang for the Sacramento region’s 7th Congressional District seat.
As of 10:39 p.m., Matsui had 58.2% of the vote while Vang had 41.8%. About 38% of the district’s expected votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press.
Matsui led by slightly less than 10 percentage points in Sacramento County, nearly 29 points in El Dorado County and more than 32 points in San Joaquin County, according to those counted as of 10:30 p.m.
The results offer the first glimpse into how voters feel about the contentious, intra-party and generational battle for 7th District, which includes Sacramento’s downtown core and stretches from Lodi to parts of El Dorado County. Political experts have estimated that it may take weeks before a winner is determined.
Ahead of the polls closing, Matsui arrived at the Sellands Cafe and Bar on Broadway for her election night party. She said she felt confidence, saying she had campaigned across the district including the newer areas such as Lodi and Placerville.
“This race itself tested me in a way that I felt was really good, and I really felt good about where we were and where we are today” said Matsui, who still had her “I Voted” sticker on her blue suit.
Following her comments, Matsui entered the restaurant as a group of supporters applauded her. Similar to her primary election night party, Tuesday’s night event featured many well known local leaders including Sacramento State President Luke Wood, California Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, and Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho.
In one corner of the restaurant, Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen kept refreshing her phone, waiting for Sacramento County to offer its first batch of results.
“We’re up by 10%,” she yelled after the seeing the returns. Soon after, a man with a microphone relayed the entire early results to the crowd, which loudly cheered in response.
Matsui, when shown the results, appeared in disbelief.
“Wow,” she said before pausing for a few seconds. “Feeling really great so far.”
Matsui, a pillar of the Democratic establishment, has represented the Sacramento region district since 2005 when she succeeded her late husband Robert following his death. She entered the race with overwhelming advantages in fundraising, endorsements and name recognition. Her backers include Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Even so, Vang — who is the most progressive member of the Sacramento City Council — has become Matsui’s most formidable challenger ever. She has made a fervent case for generational change and relied on a grassroots approach to build a strong following of working class voters and younger progressive Democrats.
The early results did not put a damper on the dozens of Vang backers Tuesday night at the Midtown Live Sports Pub and Venue. The lively atmosphere featured R&B music, a dance floor with strobe lights and multiple TVs playing newscasts.
Supporters kept pointing back to the primary election, which Vang initially trailed in before securing the top spot. Vang had spent most of Monday canvassing at the campuses of Sacramento City College, Cosumnes River College and Sacramento State. Political experts have said a Vang victory would partially hinge on her turning out younger Democrats, many of which are known to vote later.
“I think she’s going to pull through,” said Jean Crowder, who was Vang’s high school teacher. “She has people behind her, not billionaires.”
The race is emblematic of a large wave of progressive younger candidates trying to oust longtime and more moderate Democratic incumbents in safe blue seats across the country.
The contest has been extremely bitter, with both campaigns firing direct and personal shots.
Vang and her supporters criticized Matsui’s immigration voting record, highlighted her history of accepting corporate donations and accused her of trying to use her wealth to buy the seat. As of the latest federal filings, Matsui had spent nearly $7 million of her own money on the campaign.
Matsui has flooded the market with mailers and TV advertisements that portray Vang as an extremist, cite her practice of abstaining from the Pledge of Allegiance and attack Vang over her attendance record at the meetings of local government bodies.
The crowd at Sellands were particularly upbeat as they took photos with Matsui, enjoyed refreshments and watched TVs showing more Democratic wins across the country.
Matsui, who noted the early voting results across the country, said during her election night party that signs point to Democrats’ retaking the House and Senate. She called on party leaders to move quickly to reverse healthcare cuts and lower the costs of prescription drugs.
“If I win, I get a gavel,” Matsui said. “We’re going to use the gavels, and in essence, that’s what this is all about: using the power that Congress should have instead of having the administration dictate.”
Singh-Allen, who was featured in a controversial campaign ad for Matsui, soon after exchanged hugs with Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg and Sacramento Councilmember Lisa Kaplan. Singh-Allen and several others in attendance felt confident that the early Matsui lead was a strong sign that she would retain the seat.
“This race was not easy,” Singh-Allen said. “Everyday people, they were getting harassed and bullied online because they dared to support Doris Matsui. I think the message is loud and clear.”
At Vang’s party, the crowd held strong as the night got late and they waited to hear her speak. In the lead up, one of her campaign members thanked a list of groups who had provided support throughout the race. Among the loudest cheers came for the Sacramento chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. At other points, the crowd chanted “Mai Time” and applauded for her family members who spoke.
Vang, who addressed her supporters just after 10:30 p.m., spent much of the speech thanking her campaign team and volunteers.
She briefly stressed that they wait “for every single vote to be counted,” noting that her team saw a line of voters at Sacramento State at 10:45 p.m. A new release from her campaign later emphasized that there are “thousands of ballots still to be counted across California’s 7th Congressional District.”
“It’s still early y’all,” she said. “No one can take away what we built together.”
Vang ended her comments by reflecting on her childhood in south Sacramento and as the child of Hmong refugees.
“If I could tell that little girl anything today, I would tell her, ‘You belong,’“ Vang said. “And one day, Mai, you will build a movement where others don’t have to question whether they belong.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2026 at 9:55 PM with the headline "Vang says California’s 7th District race is ‘still early’ as Matsui retains lead."
