Doris Matsui

Doris Matsui
Born	Doris Kazue Okada 25 9, 1944
Birthplace	Poston, Arizona, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, U.S. Representative
Known for	U.S. Representative for California's 7th congressional district; healthcare reform, environmental protection, and technology policy advocacy
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Spouse(s)	Template:Marriage
Children	1
Website	[matsui.house.gov Official site]

Doris Kazue Matsui (née Okada; born September 25, 1944) is an American politician who has served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from California since March 10, 2005. Born in the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona during World War II, Matsui's life story traces a remarkable arc from a Japanese American internment camp to the halls of Congress. She succeeded her late husband, Bob Matsui, who represented the Sacramento-based district from 1979 until his death in January 2005. Matsui represents California's 7th congressional district, which was numbered as the 5th district from 2005 to 2013 and the 6th district from 2013 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she is the ranking member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee. During her two decades in Congress, Matsui has focused her legislative efforts on healthcare reform, environmental protection, technology innovation, and flood protection for the Sacramento region. Before entering Congress, she served as Deputy Assistant to the President in the Clinton administration and worked as a government affairs consultant.

Early Life

Doris Kazue Okada was born on September 25, 1944, at the Poston War Relocation Center near Poston, Arizona, one of the internment camps established by the United States government during World War II to detain Japanese Americans. Her parents, like tens of thousands of other Japanese Americans on the West Coast, had been forcibly relocated from their homes following Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942. The experience of being born in an internment camp would later inform Matsui's perspective on civil rights, social justice, and the experiences of marginalized communities in the United States.

After the war ended and the internment camps were closed, Matsui's family resettled in California. She grew up in the Sacramento area, which would become the center of her personal, professional, and political life. Her upbringing in a Japanese American family that had endured the trauma of wartime internment gave her an acute awareness of issues facing Asian American and Pacific Islander communities — a focus that would carry through into both her White House service and her congressional career.

Education

Matsui attended the University of California, Berkeley, one of the premier public universities in the United States, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her time at UC Berkeley coincided with a period of significant political and social activism on the campus during the 1960s. It was during her years at Berkeley that she met Robert (Bob) Matsui, whom she married in 1966. Bob Matsui would go on to serve as a member of the Sacramento City Council before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, a seat he held until his death in 2005.

Career

Pre-Congressional Career

Before entering Congress, Matsui built a career that spanned government service, public affairs consulting, and nonprofit leadership. She worked as a government affairs consultant in the Sacramento area, developing expertise in public policy and political strategy.

Her most prominent pre-congressional role came during the Clinton administration, where she served as Deputy Assistant to the President. In this capacity, Matsui worked on a range of domestic policy issues and served as a liaison between the White House and various community organizations and interest groups. One of her most significant accomplishments during this period was her work with President Bill Clinton to establish the first White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 1999. This initiative, which aimed to increase federal engagement with and improve the quality of life for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, represented a landmark in federal recognition of the AAPI community's needs and concerns.

Matsui also served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, and the National Park Foundation. These board positions reflected her interest in cultural preservation, the arts, and public lands — areas that would continue to be of interest during her congressional tenure.

Entry into Congress

On January 1, 2005, Matsui's husband, Congressman Bob Matsui, died of complications from a rare stem cell disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome. He had represented California's 5th congressional district, based in Sacramento, since 1979. His death created a vacancy in the district, and Doris Matsui announced her candidacy for the seat in the ensuing special election.

Matsui won the special election on March 8, 2005, and was sworn in as a member of Congress on March 10, 2005. The heavily Democratic district, centered on Sacramento, provided her with a strong base of support, and she has been re-elected in each subsequent general election. By 2026, she was seeking her 11th consecutive term in Congress.

Legislative Priorities

Throughout her congressional career, Matsui has focused on several key legislative areas, including healthcare reform, environmental protection, technology and telecommunications policy, and flood protection for the Sacramento region.

Healthcare

Matsui has been a consistent advocate for healthcare reform during her time in Congress. She supported the Affordable Care Act and has worked to expand access to healthcare coverage and reduce costs for consumers. Her positions on healthcare have included support for protecting patients with pre-existing conditions, strengthening Medicare, and addressing prescription drug pricing.

Matsui has also been vocal on reproductive rights issues. Following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, Matsui released a statement opposing the ruling and calling for federal action to protect reproductive rights.

Energy and Commerce Committee

Matsui's position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee has placed her at the center of many significant legislative debates. She serves as the ranking member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, a position that gives her substantial influence over telecommunications policy, broadband access, internet regulation, and technology innovation.

In this role, Matsui has championed efforts to expand broadband access, particularly in underserved and rural communities. She has also engaged with issues related to net neutrality, spectrum policy, and the regulation of emerging technologies. Her work on the committee has positioned her as one of the Democratic caucus's leading voices on technology and communications policy.

Environmental Protection and Flood Control

Representing a district that sits at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers, Matsui has made flood protection for the Sacramento area a central priority of her congressional service. Sacramento is one of the most flood-prone major cities in the United States, and Matsui has worked to secure federal funding for levee improvements and other flood control infrastructure projects in the region.

She has also been an advocate for broader environmental protection measures, including action on climate change, clean energy development, and conservation of natural resources.

Equal Pay in Sports

In March 2021, Matsui was among the members of Congress who introduced legislation aimed at requiring the United States Soccer Federation to pay members of the United States women's national soccer team equally to their male counterparts. The bill was introduced amid the broader public debate over gender pay equity in professional sports, which had been highlighted by the women's national team's legal fight against the federation.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Matsui is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), which advocates for the interests and concerns of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. Her membership in the caucus is consistent with her longstanding engagement with AAPI issues, dating back to her work establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the Clinton administration.

Voting Record

Matsui has maintained a voting record that aligns closely with the Democratic Party's positions on major policy issues. Analysis of her voting during the Biden administration showed strong alignment with the president's legislative priorities. Her positions have consistently reflected support for progressive domestic policies, including expanded social programs, environmental regulation, and civil rights protections.

2026 Re-Election Campaign

In 2026, Matsui faced a competitive primary challenge from Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang for the Democratic nomination in California's 7th congressional district. It marked one of the more significant intra-party contests Matsui had faced during her tenure.

The race drew attention from national and local political figures. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Matsui, a move that Sacramento Bee editorial coverage characterized as a significant development in the contest. Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and five members of the Sacramento City Council also endorsed Matsui's re-election bid.

Matsui secured the California Democratic Party endorsement in February 2026, winning 67% of the delegate vote and exceeding the 60% threshold required for an official endorsement. However, Vang indicated she would formally challenge the endorsement process.

The contest reflected broader tensions within the California Democratic Party between establishment incumbents and progressive challengers. A CalMatters analysis noted that the state party endorsed incumbents and party insiders over grassroots challengers in several races during its February 2026 endorsement process.

Matsui was also observed participating in public protests during this period. In October 2025, she spoke at a "No Kings" protest at the California State Capitol.

Personal Life

Doris Matsui married Robert "Bob" Matsui in 1966. Bob Matsui served on the Sacramento City Council before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978. He represented California's 3rd congressional district (later renumbered as the 5th) for 26 years. Like Doris, Bob Matsui was born in a Japanese American internment camp during World War II, having been interned as an infant at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California. The couple's shared experience of having been born in internment camps was a significant element of their public identity and their advocacy for civil rights and social justice.

Bob Matsui died on January 1, 2005, from complications related to myelodysplastic syndrome. The couple had one son.

Matsui has maintained her residence in the Sacramento area throughout her congressional career, residing in the district she represents.

Legacy

Doris Matsui's career in public service spans more than three decades, from her work in the Clinton White House to her ongoing service in Congress. Her biography — born in an internment camp, educated at the University of California, Berkeley, serving in the White House and then in Congress — reflects a trajectory that parallels the broader story of Japanese American integration into American political life in the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

Her role in establishing the first White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 1999 represented a milestone in federal engagement with AAPI communities. In Congress, her work on the Energy and Commerce Committee, particularly on telecommunications and technology policy, has made her a significant figure in shaping the legislative framework for the digital economy. Her sustained focus on flood protection for Sacramento has addressed one of the most pressing infrastructure challenges facing her district.

As one of the longest-serving Asian American members of Congress, Matsui's tenure has coincided with the significant growth of Asian American political representation at the federal level. She is also among a small number of members of Congress who were born in Japanese American internment camps, giving her a personal connection to one of the most significant civil liberties violations in American history.

Her 2026 re-election campaign, in which she faced a challenge from a younger progressive opponent, highlighted ongoing debates within the Democratic Party about generational change, ideological direction, and the balance between incumbency and new representation.