Mai Vang

Vang was born in Sacramento, California, to Hmong refugees from Laos who fled after the Vietnam War. She is the eldest of 16 children and grew up impoverished Vang's family relied on the Salvation Army for resources and food, and she recalls, “Growing up I saw needles and condoms on the street and I really think I internalized poverty... I was really ashamed at a young age. I was growing up in a house full of cockroaches and I’d go to school and I wasn’t the kid with the cool shoes. I internalized it all deeply. I didn’t make the connection of why we were poor. I was looking at my parents and thinking, ‘Why are we poor?’” She holds Bachelors’ Degrees in Biology and Sociology from the University of San Francisco and completed a joint Master of Arts and Masters of Public Health in Asian American Studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011. == Early career ==

Vang began lecturing in the Department of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Sacramento, a position she still holds. She also recently taught in the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Davis. Following the closure of several schools in 2013, Vang, along with her friend Cha Vang, formed the non-profit Hmong Innovating Politics to organize the community against further closures. == Political career ==

Sacramento City Unified School District School Board In 2016, Vang was elected to represent the Area 5 seat on the Sacramento City Unified School District school board. Vang received endorsements from 4 councilmembers including retiring council member Larry Carr and Angelique Ashby; the city firefighters’ union; assemblymembers Anthony Rendon, David Chiu, and Kevin McCarty; California State Controller Betty Yee; California State Treasurer Fiona Ma; Elk Grove mayor Steve Ly; U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders; and the editorial board of the Sacramento Bee. Her campaign had raised $122,000 by February 2020. In the first round, Vang placed first leading pastor Les Simmons with 47% of the vote. She defeated Simmons in a run-off election with 52% of the vote. She is the first Asian-American woman elected to the body and was sworn in on December 15, 2020. She won re-election in 2024 unopposed. Council member In 2022, a man was arrested and charged for making threats of death or serious injury against Vang and another council member, as well as a candidate and a staff member. In 2023, Vang voted to shift $6 million away from the Sacramento City police overtime and unfilled vacancies, and reallocate the money into expanding the hours of the homeless behavioral health department which only operates Monday through Friday during regular business hours. The proposal was rejected by a majority of the council, but a similar proposal was made again in 2025. In 2025, an analysis showed that the police overtime spending increased from $2.6 million in 2011 to $23 million in 2023, and was a total of $36 million over-budget from 2021-2023. Vang endorsed Flojaune Cofer's eventually unsuccessful run in the 2024 Sacramento mayoral election. Vang was the only council member to vote against the renewal of the controversial ShotSpotter detection technology. Studies from Houston, New York City, and other jurisdictions have found up to 87% false positive rates, contributing to increased police costs and also response times for actual emergencies. 2026 congressional campaign In September 2025, Vang announced her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms, challenging incumbent Democrat Doris Matsui in the 7th district. She was endorsed by the California Working Families Party in the following days., as well as National Nurses United and the Justice Democrats. If elected, Vang would be the first Hmong American in Congress. Her decision to run was motivated by her opposition to the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the region. In March 2026, Sacramento-based platinum funk rock band Cake performed a benefit concert in support of the congressional campaigns of Vang and Effie Phillips-Staley. Lead singer John McCrea, Vang, and Phillips-Staley attended the same high school, though not at the same time. ==Electoral history==

Vang resides in the Meadowview neighborhood of Sacramento. She married Omar Gonzalez, a second generation Mexican-American, in 2024. == References ==