Doris Matsui wins California Congressional District 7 race, CBS News projects
Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui has won reelection in California's 7th Congressional District, CBS News projects, defeating fellow Democrat Mai Vang, a Sacramento City Council member.
The victory extends Matsui's tenure after the most serious challenge of her congressional career. Vang, the first elected official to challenge Matsui since 2005, finished ahead of her in the June primary, 31% to 29%. Matsui had previously won reelection by wide margins, including taking nearly 67% of the vote in 2024.
Matsui has represented the Sacramento area in Congress since winning a special election in 2005 following the death of her husband, longtime Rep. Robert Matsui. Together, the Matsuis have represented Sacramento in Congress since 1979.
Vang is the daughter of Hmong refugees and was first elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2020. She previously served on the Sacramento City Unified School District board and helped establish the Sacramento Children's Fund, which directs funding toward youth programs.
California's 7th Congressional District was redrawn under voter-approved Proposition 50. The new district includes downtown and South Sacramento, Elk Grove, Galt and Lodi, and stretches east into El Dorado County, including El Dorado Hills and Placerville.
Matsui's reelection campaign emphasizes her work securing federal funding for Sacramento-area flood protection and transportation projects. She has also highlighted her work on health care access, lowering prescription drug costs and clean energy.
Vang's campaign focuses on lowering costs for working families, housing affordability and Medicare for All. She has pledged not to accept corporate political action committee money in this race and has made Matsui's corporate PAC contributions a central line of attack.
Both candidates have opposed policies of the Trump administration, with Matsui emphasizing her congressional record and Vang arguing for a new generation of Democratic leadership.