- U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui called on women officials to rescind their endorsements of her Congressional race challenger, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang, over Vang’s planned appearance on left-wing streamer Hasan Piker’s channel.
- On Thursday afternoon, none had confirmed decisions to pull their endorsements to Abridged by PBS KVIE, and one group reaffirmed its endorsement of Vang.
- Matsui’s attack comes amid increasingly vitriolic rhetoric in the campaign leading to Election Day.
U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui called on local women officials to pull their endorsements of Mai Vang over a planned livestream appearance with commentator Hasan Piker.
Vang, who’s challenging Matsui to represent California’s 7th Congressional District, would join other national progressive candidates who have streamed and associated with Piker, a popular left-wing political streamer familiar with controversy.
Matsui, the long-serving representative, called on California Senate Majority Leader Angelique Ashby, Sacramento City Council members Caity Maple and Karina Talamantes, and Washington Unified School District Trustee Jackie Thu-Huong Wong to rescind their endorsements of Vang.
Vang’s campaign confirmed that the candidate plans to appear on Piker’s livestream, but couldn’t confirm where or when the livestream will take place.
“Matsui is desperate and this attack is a distraction,” Vang said in a statement.
“Going on someone’s show doesn’t mean adopting their views — it’s an opportunity to talk directly to voters that establishment politicians have left behind, especially young people,” she said.
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Fellow council member ‘deeply disappointed’
Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan, who sits on the City Council with Vang, shared opposition to Vang’s association with Piker in a social media post.
“Elevating an individual who has built a brand on sexism, antisemitism, and the degradation of women … simply to chase a young online audience or fuel a campaign war chest is a profound failure of leadership,” Kaplan said.
Matsui’s campaign, in denouncing Piker’s past comments and behavior, pointed to several quotes and a Cosmopolitan story in which Piker reportedly showed nude photos he’d received to the story’s author.
Vang, a progressive Democrat, is challenging Matsui for the seat in Congress representing Elk Grove, part of Sacramento and areas around Walnut Grove and Isleton.
The Matsui campaign’s strike against Vang follows increasing negative attacks in the race, with less than a month from Election Day.
A recent Matsui campaign ad included California Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, and Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen saying Vang should be fired over her attendance record at local government meetings, The Sacramento Bee reported.
A national progressive trend
By streaming alongside Piker, Vang joins other progressive candidates who have used his and other internet celebrities’ platforms to reach voters.
One is Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who reportedly campaigned with Piker and recently confronted him privately about his rhetoric about Israel, Forbes reported.
In March, then-candidate for California Governor Tom Steyer sat for an interview with Piker, which was posted on the pundit’s YouTube channel. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has also reportedly appeared on Piker’s livestream.
When asked why Matsui’s campaign called on just a handful of women candidates and groups to pull their endorsements, consultant Roger Salazar said, “The focus was on local women leaders, (but) we would recommend anyone pull their endorsement as a result.”
When asked what Matsui has done for women voters, Salazar pointed to her vote to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, among other accomplishments.
Vang’s campaign said she’s helped women through her organization Hmong Innovating Politics, which has helped women and parents shape civic policy and education, among other accomplishments.
“Unlike Doris Matsui, I’m willing to meet voters where they’re at,” Vang said.
