Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang launched her campaign for Congress on Tuesday, setting up a Democratic primary challenge to longtime incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui.

Matsui, 80, has held California’s 7th Congressional District seat since 2005 following the death of her husband, Rep. Robert Matsui, who first was elected to Congress in 1978. Since then, she has become one of California’s longest-serving members of Congress.

Outside the Pannell Community Center in Meadowview, Vang told The OBSERVER her decision to run for Congress came after weeks of encouragement from community members. Vang framed her candidacy as an answer to what she described as a dangerous time in American politics. “I understand the lived struggles of our working families, and now more than ever it’s important to

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