Dem Congresswoman CAUGHT BOOSTING Republican

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Joining us now is Mai Vang who is running in the uh California's seventh congressional district which is encompasses uh Sacramento, California.

[00:00:08]Uh Mai, thank you so much for uh for joining us here.

[00:00:12]>> Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:14]It's great to be on here today. Good morning to everyone.

[00:00:17]>> Yeah. No, it's I think exciting day in Democratic uh politics. Uh you just had um uh two two kind of big wins for progressives in in Pennsylvania. Chris Rab in in Philadelphia and then Bob Brooks up in uh the Lehi in the Lehigh Valley. Uh but California has such a uh interesting system with these top two uh that it ends up producing um all sorts of bizarre kind of game theory um going on in these races. And so, um, I I wanted to start with this really bizarre development, um, that we're seeing where it seems like your opponent, incumbent Doris Matsoule, uh, is trying to push into, uh, the general election, um, a Republican, which, and, I think people will be very confused when they first hear that. They'll be like, wait a minute, a Democrat is trying to get a Republican elected to off or into the primary. what on earth is is going on here? But we can put up this first element up on the screen. Um so, uh Andrew Solander spotted this. I did too, and I just forgot to kind of tweet about it. Um so, the way that campaigns signal to super PACs legally, so they're not allowed to coordinate with a super PAC, but what they can do is on their website, they can put language that anybody in the public can read, but it's clearly aimed directly at a super PAC.

[00:01:43]So this says what voters need to know.

[00:01:46]Uh Zachariah Wooden um this is the Republican um Wooden has a record of serving the community. This is what voters need to know according to Doris Matsule. Fighting to advance Trump's policies and is endorsed by major GOP groups like the Republican Party of Sacramento, Republican Party of Sanwaqin, Reform California, and Carl uh Deio. Um and then it goes on it goes into real uh kind of details about um what it says Republican Republican leading NP likely primary voters and that's no party preference need to see read and see on the go that Zachariah Wooden is the strongest Republican in the June 2nd primary. So there's a lot of coded language um going on there. So um city council woman, can you can you walk normal people through some of this coded language? So what does it mean uh first of all to say that quote voters need to see read and see on the go? Like what what is she trying to say there?

[00:02:48]>> Yeah. Well, first let me just say um you know this is one of the reasons why I'm running. You know established politicians like Doris Matsui who's been in office for 21 years. Um actually her and her husband it's a dynasty. They've been in office for almost 47 years almost half a century. uh would rather see a Republican in power than pass the torch to the next generation. Right? And what you're seeing in that uh in that on on her website or they call it a red box is basically directing her corporate donors and her supporters uh to run mailers um to uh increase uh name ID among the Republicans um and basically to turn out the vote for Republicans um in hopes that uh she would knock me out uh in the June primaries. In California, we have this thing called jungle primary and it's the top two vote getters that actually advance to the November election. Um, and uh, we are seeing polls where uh, we are literally neck um, and that she's losing the Democratic and the decline to state base uh, because people are really fed up and tired of the establishment and uh, she knows this. um her uh political apparatus that that's around her knows this and so uh they're trying a different strategy uh to see if they can knock us out out of top two.

[00:04:02]>> Yeah. And and and to to also I I can help decode for people too. C read and C on the go is my understanding means C means >> basically television ads.

[00:04:12]>> Um read means mailers.

[00:04:14]>> Mailers.

[00:04:14]>> Um and C on the go means I think mobile basically.

[00:04:18]>> Mobile. Yeah. Digital ads.

[00:04:19]>> So they're being very specific. She So she This is Doris Matsuia, Democratic incumbent telling her, as you said, major corporate backers, the super PACs, um, please take out television, digital, um, and mail ads for a Republican so that I don't have to compete, uh, with my Democratic opponent in the general election. So, let's talk about why. Why doesn't she want to compete with you?

[00:04:45]What what what are you what are you running on that would be a such a significant difference from the Matsui dynasty?

[00:04:52]>> Yeah, I would say, you know, a big part of this is because voters across Congressional District 7, but I would say voters across our country is incredibly tired of established politicians that created the conditions for what we have today. You know, I am I'm entering the space as a community organizer, someone who grew up here in South Sacramento, and I don't have the luxury of waiting on the sideline.

[00:05:12]There's this unspoken role. I am a local elected. I'm on the city council and before I was on the city council, I was a community organizer. But among local electeds, this there's this unspoken rule that you don't do what Mayang is doing. You wait your turn and you don't take on an incumbent, right? And I wasn't even waiting my turn. Um didn't even think that I would be running for Congress one day. Uh but I understand the day-to-day struggles of our working families. I am married to a son of Mexican immigrants. I am a daughter among refugees. I have families and loved ones that wake up every morning afraid of they're going to be separated uh by ice. I have uh family and loved ones and so many residents in our region that's struggling to get by to pay their mortgage, to put food on the table, to fill up their gas tank. And it's so important that we have elected leaders in the halls of Congress that understand the day-to-day struggles of our working families. Um the difference also between me and the um my opponent, the incumbent, is I don't take any corporate pack money. And as I've been saying, when you're funded by a corporate uh uh when your campaign is funded by a corporate credit card, you have debt to pay. You won't move with a sense of urgency on Medicare for all. Uh you won't move with a sense of urgency to close detention centers that are separating family and loved ones. Um and you won't move with a sense of urgency to stop endless wars. Uh the congresswoman hasn't signed on to legislation to block bombs. Um and under her leadership, u ICE budget has tripled under her leadership.

[00:06:35]>> Right. and and so the the district itself um what what are the what are the what are the main issues economically? I know Sacramento is you know California is you know overall compared to the rest of the country a pretty wealthy um a pretty wealthy state. Sacramento is has always struggled. Um so what are what are you what are you pitching you know to pe the people of Sacramento that's going to kind of boost them up?

[00:07:01]>> Thanks. Um, so Congressional District 7, just for those that that's listening for the first time in terms of what that district is, it is Sacramento, uh, but it also now encompasses after Prop 50, uh, encompasses rural areas too.

[00:07:13]Elorado, um, Placerville, uh, and the central a little bit of the central valley, uh, Loi and Gulf and San County.

[00:07:20]Um, and I would say to you, Ryan, you know, affordability is still a huge issue for so many of our working families across the the congressional district. I hear about how hard is it for our families to uh basically put food on the table to to fill up their gas tank. Um and I know that so many of our working families right now their premiums are going up. And so um affordability is still a huge issue. Uh but on the campaign trail for the past seven months, what I've been hearing is that we got to get money out of politics that so many of these congressional seat are bought uh by by corporate packs or by Apac. Um and so they want to see uh someone independent, someone going in there fighting for the people. Um, and I have a track record of that. As someone that's a community organizer, our campaign doesn't take any corporate pack. And when I get to the halls of Congress, I want to be fighting for the people uh that I represent.

[00:08:06]>> And as you mentioned, uh, Apac has endorsed Matsui over the years, has has donated heavily um, to her to her campaign. She hasn't signed on to the Block the Bombs Act. I'm curious how how far you go on on that question. AOC and even J Street uh recently said that the US should not be subsidizing any weapons uh for Israel offensive or defensive and if they want weapons um they can buy themselves. Where where do you uh where do you come down on that question?

[00:08:35]Because others have gone even further and said no like they should actually be sanctioned and and as long as they are engaged in human rights abuses uh we should not be selling them weapons period even if they're paying for them.

[00:08:49]>> Yeah. Yeah, I mean my position is, you know, I'm the only candidate in this race that have called what has happened a genocide even before I made the decision to run for Congress. Um, I led the effort for a ceasefire resolution in the city of Sacramento. Um, and there are there are Palestinian families right here in our region that have lost entire generation of their family because of this genocide. And you're absolutely right. The congresswoman has taken money from APEC and she has consistently voted for more and more of our tax dollars to buy weapons for Israel. Uh my position on it is that we should not be spending our tax dollar defensive or offensive um because they are you know committing a genocide and human rights violation. And so that is my position and a big part of this is also because I am a daughter of Mong refugees. Uh my parents came over here because of war and I understand the generational trauma that that war has on families, the displacement and the harm that that caused for so many lives. Um and so for me um Gaza is a test of our moral clarity and courage uh in this moment.

[00:09:48]>> And what what would it take to get to a a place where so yesterday for instance um there were there were reports uh that the international criminal court um had issued uh an arrest warrant for it Bengavir. Uh Benir responded uh by um by demanding the ethnic cleansing of another village uh in the in the West Bank. Um where do you stand on sanctions for officials like that?

[00:10:16]>> Yeah, I think I I support um boycotting, divestment and sanctions. Absolutely.

[00:10:22]That is that's always been my position.

[00:10:25]>> Now, uh immigration is also a huge issue uh in your race as I as I understand it.

[00:10:30]Where do you where do you come down on the question of um what ICE is doing, whether ICE should continue as as an agency and if it shouldn't, what should be what should immigration enforcement look like?

[00:10:44]>> Yeah, thanks for that question. Uh I fundamentally believe that we should abolish ICE. I don't think you could reform an agency that is killing US citizens, uh killing people on the street. Um, you can't reform an agency uh that uh pulls people over based on the the color of their skin, the language that they speak, where they work. Um, and it is corrupt and immoral.

[00:11:05]Um, and the congresswoman, the my opponent, um, has taken money from ICE contractors and people with uh huge contracts to help set up ICE detention centers. Um, and she's often been late and ineffective to the issue. And we do really need uh bold and courageous leadership in this moment to dismantle this immoral agency. And look, I I always share ICE didn't exist before 2003, and it was under INS. Uh for me, at the end of the day, ICE is uh really not about enforcement, but it's about terrorizing our black or brown, our immigrant and refugee communities. Um I think what we need to do as a government is to invest in robust, nimble, and strategic administrative state. Uh that includes our immigration system, right?

[00:11:46]Establishing an accessible pathway to legal status for our TPS uh recipients, our dreamers. I have family members who are are DACA. Um, and I think that we have to really mo we have to, you know, make sure that we have a pathway for them. But we also like Congress also needs to increase funding and staffing for a federal agency. We got to modernize our immigration courts with digital case systems, uh, reduce visa, asylum processing backlogs. Um, and the last piece is we have to end all inhumane deportation and deta detention programs. We have babies and families being separated from their from their parents. Um and that shouldn't be happening in the United States. Um we need to be closing all these detention centers.

[00:12:28]>> That's literally profiting these detention centers are profiting from these detentions.

[00:12:33]>> Right. What about on the question of um uh the AI data center um moratorum that Bernie Sanders has has proposed. And then in general um how would you how do you see what do you see the federal government's role in kind of regulating AI and AI safety?

[00:12:48]Yeah, I support the uh the AI data monitor monitorium that Bernie and AOC um has put forth, I often share, you know, uh when I'm trying to explain AI even to like my elders, I I I share with them, you know, just like we don't expect uh the oil industry or tobacco or alcohol industry to regulate itself. We shouldn't allow AI and that one in the 1% and billionaires and a very small handful of rich people to decide uh you know the future of AI. It should we should put a a moratorum on it and we should make sure that we have safeguards. And so that is my position.

[00:13:25]>> And what about on the wealth tax? I know California um is putting forward this kind of 5% onetime tax. Roana's got a primary challenger because he he supports it. Um where are you on that?

[00:13:36]and more more generally um what can we do about you know income and wealth inequality when it comes to tax policy.

[00:13:45]>> Yeah, I actually support uh the wealth tax on the ballot that's on the ballot measure. Um I think it's incredibly important that we make sure that the the billionaires pay their fair share. Uh and I think it I think there's there's several things we can do. One, we could um fund it through um by closing corporate tax loopholes and raising tax on billionaires. I mean large corporations. That's always been my position. I think no one ever just becomes a billionaires. They become a billionaire by the working-class families. And it's incredibly important that they pay their fair share.

[00:14:14]>> Yeah. And can you talk a little bit about uh a little more about your um your background um and how your how your family got here? Because I think it is I think it always is interesting to have um people in Congress who whose families have been on the kind of other side of the American gun. um you know how did so how did your um how did how does your family get here and how has that kind of shaped your your politics?

[00:14:41]>> Thanks thanks for asking that question.

[00:14:43]Well you know I didn't come into politics through a dynasty like my opponent or through money. I I am a daughter of Mong refugees. I was born and raised here. Uh but my parents came here as refugees. I am the proud daughter of Mong refugees. I'm the oldest of 16 children in my family, the first to go to college. But for those that may not know about the Mo people, uh during the Vietnam War, the United States, the CIA recruited the Mo uh to fight in guerrilla warfare to stop the supply, the weapon supply uh through the Ho Chi Min Trail. And the Mong people were mountain people. We knew that region better than anyone else. And so the United States recruited the Mong people to fight in the secret war of Laos um uh in Viet during the Vietnam War. And as you all know, that was a war that the United States should had not engaged in. And when they withdrew their troops, um there was persecution and genocide of our people because we allied with the United States. And I often share that, you know, our people fought for democracy uh before we even stepped foot onto this country. Uh over 40,000 um villagers and um and and and M soldiers ages 10 and up because they actually recruited young boys ages 10 and up to fight in the secret war of Laos. Um that's an underount actually.

[00:15:55]We we um know that the number is much higher than that. Um my parents were actually the villagers that were impacted and Laos is one of the most bombed country uh um in in the world. My parents fled the war was in the jungle for about 6 to 8 months um crossed the Mong River and then made it to Thailand to seek refuge and then they came to the United States and they settled here uh in Sacramento. And uh my grandparents didn't have any formal education. and they were just villagers. And so they rented land in Elkrove, which is in Congressional District 7. And they uh they grew vegetables and they were farmers under the farmers market uh at the farmers market under the freeway.

[00:16:35]This very big popular farmers market in Sacramento. You just say the the farmers market under the freeway in downtown.

[00:16:41]People know exactly what farmers market that is. But growing up, I remember uh just helping my grandma and grandpa sell uh fruits and vegetables. Um, and then my parents uh came here as teenagers, went through our public school system, but didn't graduate high school because they couldn't speak English, and so they went to alternative school to get their GED. And then I, uh, went through our public school system, uh, grew up on food stamps. Um, and my high school teacher told me that if I went to college, it was going to be my one ticket to get out of poverty. And so I left because of poverty, but poverty is also the reason why I came back home. I went to UCLA uh, for college. And after I graduated from UCLA, um I I realized that, you know, what good is it to have two masters from UCLA or from a public university, one of the top public university when your family and your community is still struggling? And so I came back home to help mom and dad pay the bills, take care of my siblings. And then when I came back to Sacramento, um I looked around, Ryan, and realized that not a lot had changed. Um that so many of our underserved communities were lacking resources. And so I had learned about organizing, community activism when I was in college. Uh I worked for Apolla, the AsianPacific American Labor Alliance. Did some um organizing voter education um outreach for the Obama campaign in LA when I was a grad student and took those skills and started uh just building here in South Sacramento and started an organization called HIP Mong Innovating Politics. We're a grassroots organization. At that time, we were scrappy organizer with money in our shoe box underneath someone's bed.

[00:18:18]Uh, but we became this political force in Sacramento organizing our parents to fight for their students education. Fast forward, I'm on the city council now, always fighting for our families and commu our communities. And yes, it's no secret that I am the progressive on the city council. Uh, but we've been able to get a lot of work done, securing millions for so many communities, uh, passing uh, the first ever Sacramento Children's Fund ballot initiative. Um, and I never thought that I would would be here today, Ryan, if if you told me on May 20th, because today's May 20th in 2025, that I would be running for Congress, I probably wouldn't believe you. Uh, the decision to run for Congress didn't happen until the fall uh, of last year. And a big part of that was uh my anger and frustration at the lack of responsiveness um and fight from our congresswoman. And you know, I don't take running against an incumbent lightly. Um I always knew it was going to be an uphill battle. Uh but I don't have the luxury of waiting on the sidelines while our democracy uh is is on fire and our families are living in fair. Um, and I want to be able to look back on this moment, tell all my nieces and nephews and uh my two boys that when Trump was in office, I did everything I could to protect their future.

[00:19:30]>> Guess the last thing for you. Was there anything that kind of uh flipped you from kind of normal person in the world, um, going from, you know, you know, poor workingass, then you go to college that flipped you into into and politicized you? Was there was there a moment where you're like, "Yes, I need what?" And what what was that?

[00:19:50]>> It was I was sitting in my sociology class and I read one line about the M people >> and Ryan, you know, when growing up in Sacramento, um I really growing up in Sacramento as a daughter refugee, I really internalized poverty. Um I was that good obedient m daughter. I cooked, I clean, I took care of my siblings, but I never understood why my family was poor. Um, and it wasn't until I went to college that I read one line about the Mong people that we were recruited by the United States defying the secret war of Laos and everything clicked for me of like displacement, why I grew up in poverty.

[00:20:28]Um, and that was the moment that I realized um that oftent times the system um is fixed for the wealthy and not for all of us. It's not the reason why we have the outcomes that we have today.

[00:20:39]Um, and that was the beginning of uh my political awakening. I remember going back home that day to my dorm and calling my father and I'm translating from Mong to English. And I had called him because I had to do a paper in my sociology class and I asked him, I said, "Dad, did you know we were involved in the Vietnam War?" And he said, "Yes."

[00:20:59]And I asked him, I said, "How come you never told me?" And he said to me, "Well, you never asked." In some ways, when I reflect back on our conversation, I think my father and my mother really wanted me just to focus on school and they didn't want to talk about the war.

[00:21:14]They didn't want to be ret-raumatized and uh they just wanted their kids to go to college and um you know, find a good job and become self-sufficient. Um but reading about my people uh was that political awakening and recognizing um just US imperialism and the injustice that we have in this country uh among so many people. And so, uh, that was, um, the first chapter of my political awakening really.

[00:21:38]>> And as I'm sure you know this too, you know, Henry Kissinger, one of the architects of that of that specific policy, one of his famous quotes is, "It it may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." uh and it and it goes to the way that the United States often you know finds people who have uh the their their own particular interests which happen in the moment to align uh with the United States. among people of course um you know over a long period of time oppressed by the la you know Laian government and had you know hostile to um v various Vietnamese uh factions uh whether they were communist or non-communist and so the US is able to then come in >> and kind of exploit those sentiments and say arm them get them moving and they they feel like oh this is our shot at our own liberation But as Henry Kissinger himself will tell you, um that alliance is fatal. Um the United States has an extremely consistent um uh practice of of betraying those people after they're no longer uh no longer useful. So I think it'll be interesting that if if you can actually win to have somebody uh in in Congress who who under who understands that in a visceral way.

[00:22:56]>> Yeah. And um when we win um I would be the first Mong ever in Congress. I don't believe we've ever had a home person in Congress. And so I know that our community is incredibly excited uh about the campaign. Um and uh we're excited too, but I'm I'm running. You know, some folks have said, "My you to be the first Mong Mong congresswoman." And I said, "Actually, I'm running to try to address the first month's rent." But yes, I am also Mong unapologetically Mong as well and incredibly proud to be Mong American.

[00:23:28]Um, and uh, the only other person that maybe has that visceral understanding, of course, in Congress is Ilhan Omar.

[00:23:35]Um, and she's a, correct me if I'm wrong, supporter of your campaign.

[00:23:39]>> Uh, we're also we're hoping hoping to lock in that endorsement.

[00:23:42]>> Yeah, she not supporter of your campaign, she's been a supporter of you.

[00:23:46]>> Um, she's she's said nice things about you, but >> it would be it would be, >> you know, it's difficult for an incumbent to endorse against another incumbent. So, we'll we'll we'll see if we'll see if that happens. Um, but we know that she's said kind things about your previous work. Uh, uh, my Vang, thank you so much for joining us. Uh, you know, really appreciate it.

[00:24:07]>> Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me on.

[00:24:09]>> Yeah, you got it. Hey, if you like that video, hit the like button or leave a comment below. It really helps get the show to more people.

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