Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Sacramento councilwoman, Mai Vang, following their debate on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Mosconi Center West in San Francisco.
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS
jvillegas@sacbee.com
Saturday’s caucus debate between the top two congressional candidates running for Sacramento’s 7th Congressional District turned into a war of words at the California Democratic Party state convention in San Francisco — hinting at a bitter campaign ahead featuring a generational rift between Democrats.
It’s unlikely either the long-time incumbent, Rep. Doris Matsui, or the challenger, Sacramento City Council member Mai Vang, will win 60% of the delegates’ vote this weekend, which is needed for the party’s endorsement.
But after Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi made a surprise appearance and endorsed her old colleague, Matsui, the Vang campaign was left scrambling with just seconds to spare to find someone to speak on her behalf.
“I love that some of you are here for another generation, that we have a mix, but it’s important to have … experience to show the way,” Pelosi said. “Congressman Matsui has been great.”
Former United States Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, endorsed Doris Matsui for Congress during a debate between Matsui and Sacramento councilwoman, Mai Vang, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Mosconi Center West in San Francisco. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
According to Vang supporters, they had to speak quickly with regional director Orlando Fuentes, who was running the debate, while Pelosi was speaking to ensure Vang was given equal time for an advocate to speak publicly on her behalf.
Vang plucked her fellow councilwoman, Caity Maple, from the crowd to make a surprise endorsement; an announcement that was supposed to come later next week, Maple told me later.
After Maple’s speech, Matsui and her supporters attempted to have another supporter speak for the 81-year-old incumbent, but Vang held firm that Pelosi had already done so, and Maple’s speech had been the response.
Fuentes eventually just ended the debate and directed delegates to register their official vote.
Then the room exploded.
As some delegates headed off to cast their votes, Matsui and Vang retreated to opposite sides of the room like they’d finished a prizewinning match, while their supporters huddled around them.
Matsui will not only need to keep all of the voters she won in the pre-endorsement conference, but will need to gain three percentage points if she hopes to win the California Democrats’ official party endorsement. She was confident after the debate, when I asked if she thought she would.
But one delegate I spoke to, who didn’t want to be named, said they were going to switch their vote from Matsui to Vang, and said it was Pelosi’s speech that had convinced them.
The advancing age of certain Democrats in Congress has been at the top of mind for voters across the nation. Matsui, who has served in the seat for the last two decades, is one of 14 octogenarians currently serving in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Vang, 40, has been campaigning on the idea that Sacramento needs a fresh voice in Congress.
Matsui acknowledged the age difference between her and Vang in her opening remarks: “I know some people say it’s time for younger representation and I understand that.,” she said. It’s not about clinging to power,” and, “Experience matters.”
Even though Vang is unlikely to win the party endorsement, she could still block Matsui from getting it. Delegates will find out on Sunday during the official ratification of endorsements.
“The (Democratic) establishment is going to be the establishment,” said Vang, directly after the debate. “I didn’t know that they were going to hand the mic over to a supporter. Then they came up to me and asked me, Is there any electives in the room that have endorsed you that can speak on your behalf? I saw Councilwoman Caity Maple … so I asked her to come up.”
“ I have a deep gratitude for Nancy Pelosi, but that wasn’t part of the agenda,” Vang said.
Matsui has gone relatively unchallenged by another Democrat in the last 20 years, and it’s obvious from her reaction on Saturday that the congresswoman wasn’t expecting to have a battle on her hands.
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 6:40 PM.
Robin Epley is an opinion writer for The Sacramento Bee, with a focus on Sacramento County politics. She was born and raised in Sacramento, was a member of the Chico Enterprise-Record’s Pulitzer Prize-finalist team for coverage of the Camp Fire, and is a graduate of Chico State.