A Fighter for Working Families.
I’m the daughter of Hmong refugees, one of 16 children raised right here in Sacramento on programs like SNAP and Medicaid. I’ve been taking care of people I love my entire life — so I know the struggle of working families because I live it everyday. As a teacher, a working mom, and a City Council member, I fight for the people that politicians ignore. I’ve turned down pay raises and stood up to special interests because my only boss is you, not the billionaires and corporations.
We are living through a crisis of "politics as usual."
While our costs skyrocket and our immigrant neighbors face a mass deportation machine, the same career politicians have held onto power for decades without delivering the change we need. I’m running for Congress to bring a new generation of leadership to Washington—one with the guts to pass Medicare for All, take on the billionaire class, and finally protect our communities from the Trump administration.
EARLY LIFE
Mai is the daughter of Hmong refugees, born and raised in Sacramento. Mai’s parents fled war in Laos and arrived in California to find a new life.
As the oldest of 16 children, she helped raise her siblings while working hard to build a career dedicated to helping her community thrive. Mai is a proud product of public schools and was the first in her family to attend college. As a young organizer, Mai returned home to serve the community that raised and supported her.
ORGANIZER
When schools in her neighborhood were threatened with closure, Mai understood the catastrophic impact that would have on our community. But she didn’t just talk about it, she acted by co-founding Hmong Innovating Politics to organize parents to fight for their children’s educational future.
As an organizer, Mai fought to make Ethnic Studies a high school graduation requirement, a vision that became a reality during her time as a Sacramento City USD school board member. In 2016, under the first Trump administration, Mai championed and passed the first-ever Safe Haven Resolution in the State of California, ensuring that our schools remained a place of safety and protection for all students and families, regardless of immigration status. A protection that students and families continue to have in Trump 2.0.
NEIGHBORHOOD ADVOCATE
Mai has delivered for her community and the City of Sacramento in her first term. By working with community advocates, Mai led one of the most linguistically diverse community-run vaccination clinics in the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under her leadership, the city established the first-ever Sacramento Children’s Fund, dedicating $10 million annually to support children and youth impacted by poverty, violence, and trauma. Mai also secured over $40 million in public investments to strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for youth, seniors, and families. Her leadership also secured the first-ever city-wide language access coordinator to make sure government was accessible to everyday people.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.