Sacramento councilmember Mai Vang has announced a run against Doris Matsui in Congress. She will be the first elected official to challenge Matsui since she won the seat in 2005.

Vang joins a wave of younger candidates across California challenging established Democratic incumbents. A Sacramento city councilmember since 2020, Vang says she's running on a platform aimed at targeting the younger generation.

"We need a new generation of leaders," she said. "We need young leaders and old leaders, but we need fighters is what we need at the end of the day."

She said she's fighting for families struggling with high costs of living, rising inequality and limited access to health care.

"It doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat. Working families are struggling in this region," she said.

Vang filed a Federal Election Commission form for a Mai Vang for Congress campaign committee in early September.

Democratic Strategist Steve Maviglio said then that the Vang campaign would be going up against an institution in Matsui. Both Democrats, Vang leans to the left of Matsui, who is considered a progressive.

"Congressmember Matsui is such a household name that no one has dared to challenge her for many, many years," Maviglio said.

Isaac Gonzales is a Vang supporter who grew up in Vang's Meadowview district and has watched her fight for issues like childcare, schools and parks. 

"I was actually the first person to make a contribution to her city council campaign. I'm very proud of that," Gonzalez said. "Anyone from Meadowview who is ready to step up, as my home neighborhood, I'm ready to support her."

Matsui, 80, has been serving in Congress for the past 20 years. We spoke with her last week after Vang had filed paperwork.

"I'm doing my job right now and that is my focus, and people who know me know that that is my principal activity to serve the people of Sacramento," Matsui said.

Matsui confirmed Tuesday afternoon that she's running again, saying her focus remains on solving problems and pushing back against the Trump administration.

In a statement sent to CBS13, she said, "At a moment when an administration is breaking norms and attacking the Democratic values we share, we must stand together to defend those values and fight back."

Congressmember Matsui's campaign issued a statement confirming she is running for re-election, which noted that she has already received endorsements from Sacramento's, West Sacramento's and Elk Grove's mayors.

The primary election will be held on June 2 of next year.

Proposition 50 could influence Vang's decision to run. The 7th California congressional district is made up of 50% registered Democrats.

If the new redistricting maps are passed in November's special election, District 7 becomes more Republican, giving Vang an even more challenging race. 

"But it will be a generational match," Maviglio said. "It will be a match about change, and that's where Mai Vang will probably have some energy."