A growing national trend of Democratic candidates sparring over how they raise money is playing out in Sacramento’s 7th Congressional District race.
California’s 7th district has been represented by Democratic Congresswoman Doris Matsui for over two decades. Her opponent, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, is also a Democrat. The first-time candidate for Congress is leaning into grassroots fundraising and has pledged not to take money from corporate political action committees. Vang said this is a major distinction between her and Matsui.
This strategy of shunning corporate donations mirrors a broader national trend. Many progressive challengers are rejecting this traditional financial support for their campaigns.
Vang is pushing for Medicare for All, a proposal to replace private insurance with a publicly-funded, government-administered healthcare system. Vang has tied that to her argument against taking corporate PAC money. She claimed Matsui’s receipt of corporate PAC dollars from healthcare corporations has prevented her from supporting Medicare for All.
Vang also argues that Matsui receives campaign funding tied to Israel. She maintains that receiving money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or (AIPAC) prevents Matsui from pushing against the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Matsui said at a recent candidate forum last month in Sacramento that she is against what she calls “war crimes” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Matsui supports conditioning aid to Israel for only defensive purposes.
“I have called Netanyahu a war criminal. What he's done to kill thousands of innocent civilians, caused destruction to families,” she said. “I will not send any offensive dollars.”
Vang spoke about the differences between her and Matsui during the recent forum.
“There are clear contrasts in terms of who we are, our values, and also where we get money from. I don't take any corporate PAC money. Doris Matsui does,” Vang said. “I support Medicare for All. She does not.”
Matsui responded on stage at the candidate forum, saying she wants to expand access to healthcare. But she added that can still be done through different means.
“I'm not averse to Medicare for All, but there are other pathways there, too,” Matsui said. “And I think we have to examine them, but we really need to understand that we have to have national health care for everyone.”
Federal campaign filings show Matsui has a considerable fundraising advantage ahead of the primary election. The congresswoman has raised more than $1.3 million and has more than $1 million in cash on hand. Vang has raised just under $600,000 and reports show she has about $315,000 in cash on hand.
Sacramento State political scientist Kim Nalder said a grassroots funding strategy can help candidates build trust, especially with young voters who want to follow the money.
“The thing that's kind of interesting right now is that within the Democratic Party there's been an extra amount of pushback against billionaires and the wealthy controlling politics,” the professor said. “We're seeing this across the country, and it does feel like the Zeitgeist is turning more in the direction of the younger people.
But Nalder noted that having less money weakens a candidate’s ability to get their message out. And it ultimately may not be an effective strategy to win.
In Matsui’s 2024 run for office, she collected nearly $872,000 from PACs, accounting for about 70% of her total contributions. Only around 2% of her funding came from small-dollar donations under $200.
Federal filings show Vang’s fundraising has come from smaller, individual donations.
According to Nalder, incumbents like Matsui also benefit from stronger name recognition and connections they’ve built while in office.
Matsui has represented the Sacramento area in Congress since 2005. Prior to that, her late husband, Rep. Robert Matsui, won reelection for more than 25 years. Together, the Matsui name has represented the capital region for close to half a century.
“It's possible to get your name out, but money will buy you targeted online campaign ads. It'll buy you ads that run during local TV news that people still watch live,” Nalder said. “Having more funding is certainly advantageous in general in a campaign, as is being the incumbent.”
Nalder said the race could test whether grassroots energy can beat out institutional advantages that longtime incumbents usually hold.
People can participate in mail-in voting or cast their ballot at a vote center through Election Day on June 2. The top two vote-getters head to the November general election.
The deadline to register online or by mail is May 18. After that date, voters can still register and cast a ballot the same day through Election Day at a county elections office, vote center, or polling place. Registration is available at registertovote.ca.gov.
Editor’s note: We received feedback on this story after it was published about additional campaign contributions made on behalf of Vang’s campaign. We explored the role outside groups are playing in supporting her campaign for Congress and the corporate contributions she received during her 2024 run for Sacramento City Council. The information is presented below:
While Vang has received mostly small individual contributions from those directly supporting her campaign for Congress, some outside groups have spent big on her behalf — to give her campaign a boost.
Independent expenditure committees have donated $445,551 to support Vang’s run for Congress this year, according to Capitol Hill Access, which tracks federal campaign finance.
These outside groups aren’t legally allowed to coordinate with Vang’s campaign. But their influence and contributions are significant.
National Nurses United, which is based in Maryland and describes itself as the nation’s largest union of professional nurses, contributed $300,000 to pay for TV ads in support of Vang through its independent expenditure committee, according to filings published by Capitol Hill Access.
The filings show a separate group, the Working Families Party PAC, spent $144,551 in April and May through its IE committee on digital ads, texting, and phone canvassing to back Vang. The group describes itself as “a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful.”
In 2024, during Vang’s campaign for the Sacramento City Council, Ballotbook.com reports that she received $54,000 in outside committee donations. Those donations include contributions from various casino groups, totaling $8,000 and $400 from Pacific Gas & Electric.
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