Sacramento City Council candidate picks up endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders

Sacramento City Council candidate Mai Vang was endorsed on Thursday by Vermont senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Sanders announced his endorsement of Vang as part of his ongoing list of local election choices in every state. The list, according to the description on his site, is a compilation of candidates with strong progressive politics.

Vang, 34, is running for the District 8 seat and is a Sacramento City Unified School Board member and former staffer for Councilman Larry Carr. She’s up against Pastor Les Simmons, 41, a South Sacramento Christian Center senior pastor.

A victory for Vang would make her the first person of Hmong descent to be elected in the council’s history.

Council members Carr, Angelique Ashby, Jeff Harris and Allen Warren have endorsed Vang. She is also endorsed by the city firefighters’ union; State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon; State Assemblyman David Chiu, D-Los Angeles; State Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento; State Controller Betty Yee; State Treasurer Fiona Ma; and Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly.

Simmons has been endorsed by council members Rick Jennings, Steve Hansen and Jay Schenirer. He has also been endorsed by Elk Grove Unified School District Superintendent Chris Hoffman, Greater Sacramento Economic Council President Barry Broome, Greater Sacramento Urban League President Cassandra Jennings, Jackie Rose of Meadowview’s Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center, the Sacramento City Teachers Association and the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

Vang was also endorsed by The Bee earlier this year.

This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 11:20 AM.