The Abridged version:
- Progressive Democratic commentator Hasan Piker was in Sacramento on Wednesday, urging votes for Mai Vang, Proposition 40 and a local flood control race.
- American River Flood Control District’s board received a touch of the national spotlight, as Piker canvassed for candidate Emily Smet.
- Two candidates are currently in the running for the flood control board seat that represents Midtown and East Sacramento, including a 28-year-old who hopes to be the first Gen Z trustee on the board.
A prominent left-wing commentator made a trip to Sacramento, lending his platform to drum up support for a local congressional race, the billionaire tax and — a candidate running for the local flood control board?
The race for a seat on the American River Flood Control District received a touch of the national spotlight Wednesday, with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker canvassing on behalf of candidate Emily Smet.
This campaign season has seen Piker give airtime to figures on the national stage like Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former California governor candidate Tom Steyer.
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The event was part of a “Get Out the Vote” event organized by the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter. The event also urged votes for Mai Vang, who is challenging long-tenured incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui for California’s 7th Congressional District seat, and for Proposition 40, the one-time billionaire tax on the November ballot.
Both Vang and Smet are centering their campaigns on progressive policies and feature calls for younger leadership to take the reins. Smet, 28, said she’s part of a movement to get Gen Z into politics and could be among the youngest officials in Sacramento, if elected.
Young voters find optimism in Piker appearance
A crowd of over 200 gathered in Southside Park in Sacramento to hear Piker speak.
UC Davis students Ellie Jackson and Aaron Rodriguez drove across the Yolo Causeway for the event, mostly interested in hearing Piker speak. Jackson said she had been a fan of Piker’s for years. After learning about the local Democratic Socialist candidates, both said they were eager to knock on doors as well.
“It feels nice to replace the helplessness I feel with action,” Rodriguez said.
At the rally, Piker’s comments primarily centered on Vang’s campaign, where he accused her opponent of “living in her ivory tower” rather than serving constituents.
“This is the type of person that does not run and win power for the constituents, for the people, but simply as a vanity project,” Piker said.
He urged that it was “time for Sacramento DSA and all of us to fight back and make sure we show the Democratic Party in this state that enough is enough,” Piker said.
Why target the flood control board?
The American River Flood Control District is tasked with maintaining 40 miles of levees that keep the city of Sacramento dry.
Two candidates, Smet and her opponent Tim Crush, are seeking the District 2 trustee seat, which represents Midtown and East Sacramento.
Smet said she was inspired to run for the board after spending a few years as a community organizer with the local Democratic Socialists of America.
“I think there’s a real need to look up and down the ballot of places you can make a change,” Smet said. “A lot of these small board races are not even contested.”
As a prospective trustee on the board, Smet said her “vision is about social justice and public health.” She said she wants to see the district provide more information on flood safety in languages that are not English, and more outreach to unhoused individuals who are at risk while living near the levees.
“We’re not actively educating and outreaching with the people that are statistically the mostly likely to be affected by a flood in Sacramento,” Smet said.
Smet also brings a background as an environmental scientist. She’s currently a watersheds program manager with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts.
Endorsements have followed Smet’s vision. She has the backing of the Democratic Party of Sacramento Council, the Sacramento Central Labor Council, United Auto Workers Region 6 and the Latino Democratic Club of Sacramento County.
Opponent eyes public safety over social justice
Crush, a current flood control district official and Smet’s opponent, is centering his campaign message on his 39-year career as a civil engineer and decade of experience as a floodplain manager.
Crush was appointed to the board to fill a trustee vacancy in February 2025. He said that he believes the Democratic Socialists of America are seeking a seat as a “stepping stone” into other elected offices. He said that his own political ambitions only lie within the American River Flood Control District.
“They represent a lot of social justice issues, which I don’t think pertain to the American River Flood Control District,” Crush said. “I think it’s more of a public safety issue.”
He said that being a trustee is more about maintaining levees and protecting the homes and families near them. If elected, he said he wants to see more focus on maintenance inspections, and ensuring that the levees don’t have excessive trash, erosion or encampments.
“Our levees aren’t a safe place for people to live on,” Crush said. “… Those encampments are a danger to our water quality.”
Crush’s endorsements include three current members of the flood control board, Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum and Sacramento County supervisors Patrick Kennedy and Rich Desmond.
Matsui campaign renews calls against Piker
The last leg of the congressional race has seen repeated attacks from the Matsui campaign over Vang’s appearances with Piker.
Vang joined Piker on a Twitch stream earlier this month as part of an effort to engage with younger voters. At the time, Matsui urged local women elected officials to rescind their endorsements from Vang.
With the announcement of the canvassing event with Piker, the Matsui the campaign began circulating a petition urging Vang to “stand with women survivors of violence” and boycott the event with Piker.
A text campaign circulated Wednesday afternoon describing Van as “too extreme” for Congress and that she was “actively campaigning with dangerous extremist Hasan Piker.”
At the Wednesday night event, Vang criticized her opponent for spending $1.5 million in attack ads over the last week.
“The ads are saying we, all of us, are too extreme,” Vang told the crowd. “They say it is extreme to want Medicare for all. They say it is extreme to want to end endless war. They say it’s extreme to want to … abolish ICE.”
The crowd returned her calls with a series of “boos” before setting out to comb the neighborhood for prospective voters.
