California Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui advanced to the November ballot on Friday after facing a reelection challenge from a younger Democrat.Matsui, 81, has been in Congress since she replaced her late husband, former Rep. Bob Matsui, in the Sacramento-based seat in 2005.She faced a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Mai Vang, a member of the Sacramento City Council, and is one of several older Democrats challenged by younger insurgents this year. The second slot on the general election ballot has not yet been determined, but Vang issued a statement saying she was optimistic with the direction in which the count was moving.“This is what people power looks like,” Vang said.Matsui’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.California’s primaries are helping set the stage for the fall battle for the House of Representatives and testing whether Democrats are able to add five potential pickups after they persuaded voters to let them redraw the electoral map last year.
The redistricting was sold as a countermeasure to Republican efforts to gain seats by reworking maps in states they control, including Texas.
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Heading into Tuesday’s election, Democrats worried that California’s primary format, which sends the top two vote-getters to the general election regardless of party, could lead to them getting locked out of a seat they drew to their advantage in the San Diego’s suburbs.
