San Jose mayor joins Democratic attack-ad blitz targeting Xavier Becerra

California’s governor race just got much more direct. Xavier Becerra had been climbing quietly for weeks, but now his rivals are treating him like the person to beat. That changed the tone of the campaign fast — from a crowded, fuzzy Democratic field into a sharper fight over whether Becerra’s long résumé is an asset or a liability. And San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is now part of that pile-on, not just from the sidelines but in the same attack lane as better-known rivals. (politico.com) ### Why is Becerra suddenly the target? Because he moved up. A California Democratic Party tracking poll released May 4 put Becerra at 18% among likely voters, tied overall with Republican Steve Hilton and ahead of Democrat Tom Steyer by 6 points. In a top-two primary, that matters a lot — once one Democrat looks likelier to grab a runoff slot, everyone else has an incentive to bruise him before voting locks in. (politico.com) ### What did Mahan do? Mahan used the May 6 CNN debate to go straight at Becerra’s core argument — experience. His line was basically that three decades in office did not produce better outcomes. He also hit Becerra over the handling of migrant children during Becerra’s time running Health and Human Services, which is becoming one of the easiest attack lines for Democrats looking for a non-ideological way to question his record. (politico.com) ### Who else is piling on? Tom Steyer and Antonio Villaraigosa are doing it from different angles. Steyer has been running ads and onstage attacks over Becerra’s donations from Chevron, his ties to business interests, and his uneven positioning on single-payer health care. Villaraigosa has leaned into the scandal around Sean McC(politico.com) has not been accused of wrongdoing in that case, but rivals clearly think the association is politically useful. (politico.com) ### Why does the migrant-children issue keep coming up? Because it hits a weak spot in Becerra’s biography. He wants voters to see a veteran California Democrat with federal executive experience. But his HHS years also give opponents a way to say that experience came with visible failures. For Mahan especially, that line fits hi(politico.com)than fighting over who is more progressive. (politico.com) ### Why is this awkward for Democrats? Because this is not a Republican hit job. These are Democrats trying to damage another Democrat right before ballots land. That complicates party unity and exposes the split inside the field — progressives, moderates, business-friendly Democrats, and anti-establishment candidates all want different things from the next governor. Becerra’s rise has forced those tensions into the open. (politico.com) ### Is Mahan really in the same fight? Yes, even if he is not polling at the top. Mahan entered late, has strong Silicon Valley donor backing, and has been looking for a way to break through. Going after Becerra lets him present himself as the blunt, results-focused alternative while also borrowing attention from the front-runner fight. Basically, if vot(politico.com)a. (politico.com) ### What’s the real stakes here? This is about definition. Becerra spent much of the race under the radar. Now rivals are trying to define him before he defines himself for late voters. In a top-two system, you do not need to destroy an opponent — you just need to shave enough support to change who reaches November. That is why the attacks are landing all at once. (politico.com) ### Bottom line? Mahan joining the anti-Becerra push matters less because he leads the race and more because it shows the field agrees on one thing: Becerra is now the obstacle. When multiple Democrats start using the same vulnerabilities at the same moment, that is usually the clearest sign that the contest has entered its real phase. (politico.com)907655))