The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board endorses Mai Vang, a ‘change agent’ for city council
Sacramento City Councilmember Larry Carr was against a 2015 city ordinance that made it easier to sell produce from urban farms. His then-Community Affairs Director Mai Vang supported it.
“I told him that I was organizing Hmong farmers to come speak about the urban ag ordinance,” Vang told The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board during an endorsement interview.
The ordinance passed 6-1. Carr was the “no” vote.
He’s a “yes” for Vang, who he has endorsed to replace him when he retires this year as District 8’s councilmember.
Informing your politician employer that you disagree with their position and that you’re actively campaigning against it takes courage. In District 8, two leading candidates running for council have that kind of courage and many other qualities that would make both strong additions to the council.
Vang is one of them. The other is Pastor Les Simmons. Both grew up in the district and have spent their lives serving their community.
Sacramento City Unified school board member Vang, 34, is the eldest of 16 children raised by Hmong refugee parents from Laos. She said she grew up in poverty and was the first in her family to go to college. She would be the first person of Hmong descent on the council.
In addition to her school board role, she’s the executive director for the Buck Scholars Association, which gives scholarships to talented under-resourced students; she teaches ethnic studies as an adjunct at Sacramento State; and she co-founded Hmong Innovating Politics, which promotes voting and civic engagement among Hmong and other disenfranchised groups.
South Sacramento Christian Center senior pastor Simmons, 41, was in seventh grade when a friend of his was killed by gang violence, an experience that motivated him to advocate for youth and get involved in other forms of activism.
Simmons was a leading activist who pushed for the landmark Assembly Bill 392, which put new restrictions on police use of force. He’s served on the police commission and the city’s Measure U committee.
What separates the two in terms of strength as candidates is their level of willingness to be clear and decisive when it comes to facing down political division in their own district.
Urban farming isn’t the only topic on which Vang disagrees with Carr. She said she “would have voted in support, absolutely” for the homeless shelter in Meadowview that Carr opposed. The council approved the shelter with a 6-3 vote and it is slated to open in April.
“We know that your lifespan, when you’re living on the street, is much shorter,” she said.
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Simmons said he “was supportive of what the community support would accept, and they ultimately accepted having a shelter for women and children at that location.” (The shelter will now serve just women.) He said he worked with city staff to see if his church’s parking lot could serve as a shelter location instead, but ultimately it wasn’t a feasible option.
The Meadowview shelter was a contentious issue in South Sacramento. Many residents opposed putting the shelter next to the Pannell Community Center. Carr failed to offer alternative locations.
In a county where the number of people experiencing homelessness grew 19 percent from 2017 to 2019, most of them in the city of Sacramento, councilmembers must be ready to take clear positions – even if they’re unpopular.
Others running for the seat include real estate broker Daphne Harris, retired pastor Ronald Bell, and district resident Santiago Morales. They all care about District 8 and bring healthy competition to a crowded race.
If a candidate for District 8 wins more than 50 percent of the vote in March’s primary, he or she will win the election. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two candidates progress to the November ballot.
Simmons is an excellent candidate. It’s a shame he’s running against a powerhouse like Vang, who has a clarity of perspective that will benefit the council and the district.
Vang is a change agent, and also a skilled politician who has developed a strong base of support among local and state elected leaders.
The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board endorses Mai Vang for the District 8 seat of Sacramento City Council.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.