SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 27, 2025 — Erica Lee, a working-class renter, organizer, caregiver, former State worker, and fifth-generation Sacramentan, has announced her campaign for the June 2026 primary in California’s 7th Congressional District. If elected, Lee would be the first person in nearly five decades to break the Matsui family’s hold on the seat—signaling a major shift in local and national politics.
“I’m running to represent the working class people of Sacramento,” said Lee. “Our district deserves a congresswoman who lives the challenges everyday voters face—not another wealthy politician bankrolled by corporations and special interests.”
California’s 7th District includes communities in South Sacramento, Elk Grove, and Galt—areas Lee says have long been neglected by an out-of-touch Democratic establishment. Only 2% of current members of Congress come from working-class backgrounds, a statistic Lee hopes to change.
“For too long, politics has worked for the wealthy and well-connected—not for us,” Lee added. “The current congresswoman holds scripted mid-day town halls and avoids real accountability. Voters are tired of leaders who take their support for granted while doing little to address systemic issues like housing, wages, and healthcare.”
Lee also criticizes the broader direction of the Democratic Party. “Many entrenched Democrats helped create the conditions that allowed Trump to rise—and now they’re offering voters little more than fear of the alternative. People want someone to vote for, not just against.”
Lee’s campaign promises to center grassroots power, reject corporate PAC and special interest money, and fight unapologetically for working people.
