A Democratic congressional hopeful in California is drawing scrutiny for repeatedly refusing to face the American flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance at public events, a stance that is already testing voters patience in a newly competitive district.
According to the Daily Caller, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang declined to participate in the pledge at a Veterans Day ceremony last year, at district meetings on Jan. 22 and March 26, and during a Sacramento City Council session on July 1, 2025, as first detailed by the New York Post. Her actions, occurring in settings meant to honor service members and conduct official business, highlight a growing divide within the Democratic Party over patriotism, national symbols and respect for the institutions that safeguard American freedoms.
Vang has openly defended her conduct, posting online last year with the hashtags #FreePalestine and #KeepFamiliesTogether to frame her refusal as a protest. As much as I love this country, I use that moment to ground myself to center our communities and remind myself of the injustices and harm that continue to affect so many, both locally and across the globe, under this nations influence, Vang wrote.
She is one of five challengers to longtime Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui in the June 2 primary for Californias 7th Congressional District, a seat Matsui has held since 2005. The race is emerging as a test of whether progressive activism that questions core patriotic rituals can prevail in a district that now includes more conservative-leaning communities.
Polling shows Vang running neck-and-neck with Matsui and slightly ahead of Republican Zachariah Wooden, the New York Post reported. After redistricting, conservative-leaning Lodi, Placerville and El Dorado Hills were added to the district, alongside portions of Sacramento and Elk Grove, giving right-of-center voters a stronger voice.
Sacramento Democratic political consultant Steve Maviglio blasted Vangs behavior as an affront to those who served. Her refusal to join the pledge is completely disrespectful to veterans and their families, he told the New York Post, adding, Its Patriotism 101, you say the Pledge of Allegiance even if you dont agree with everything.
Vang has also positioned herself on the left flank of city governance, voting against Sacramentos $1.67 billion budget in June 2025, ABC10 reported. She criticized the plan for preserving vacant police positions while, in her view, failing to adequately fund youth programs.
Previously, Vang told CBS13 the council should reallocate some of the 190+ vacant positions in the police department to bolster youth and family services. Her push to divert resources from law enforcement to social programs aligns with progressive priorities that many conservatives argue undermine public safety and the rule of law.
Vang, the daughter of Hmong refugees, has framed her politics through the lens of global and historical injustice, the New York Post noted. Matsui, 81, was born in a World War II-era internment camp where federal authorities detained Japanese American families, including her own, underscoring that both candidates carry complex personal histories even as they offer starkly different visions of what honoring America and its institutions should look like.
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