San Jose Mayor Eyes Governor's Seat
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is positioning himself for a potential run for California governor. In a recent interview, Mahan argued his experience leading the South Bay city has prepared him for statewide office, focusing on fiscal responsibility and homelessness.
Before becoming mayor, Matt Mahan was a tech entrepreneur, co-founding the civic engagement platform Brigade after working at Causes, a startup that began as a Facebook app for fundraising. His career in technology was encouraged by his Harvard dormmate, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg. Mahan, a moderate Democrat, has publicly criticized fellow Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, arguing against what he calls "toxic politics" and a focus on national issues over state problems like crime and homelessness. This positioning has attracted support from some tech and business leaders. As mayor, Mahan has prioritized shifting funds from permanent affordable housing to temporary shelters to address the immediate crisis of street homelessness. He championed the reallocation of Measure E funds, which directs a property transfer tax toward interim housing solutions. Under his leadership, San Jose has seen a decrease in the number of unsheltered residents, with the sheltered homeless population increasing significantly. However, the city's total homeless population has seen a slight increase. Mahan has also focused on fiscal discipline, navigating a projected budget shortfall by reallocating funds and pushing for performance-based budgeting to tie city department funding to the quality of their services. He enters a crowded field for the 2026 gubernatorial election as the ninth Democratic candidate, joining figures like former Congresswoman Katie Porter and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell. His campaign is expected to focus on his experience as a big-city mayor tackling statewide issues.
