San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced Thursday that he is joining the race for California governor, positioning himself as a moderate Democrat and a frequent critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom who says his record running Silicon Valley’s largest city qualifies him for the state’s top job.
Mahan, elected mayor in 2022 after serving on the city council, said his policies have reduced the number of unsheltered homeless in San Jose, cut fees to speed housing construction, and helped police solve more homicides. Mahan, 43, described himself as both a fighter for California values and “a fixer” who could deliver results.
“As mayor of a big city, I’m closer to the challenges we face and the solutions we need than anyone else in this race,” Mahan said in a phone interview Thursday. “Cities are on the front lines of solving problems for people in their everyday lives.”
Mahan enters a large and unsettled field. The Democratic contenders include former Biden administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. House member Katie Porter, and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell. On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton have announced bids. Months ahead of the June primary, no Democrat has emerged as a clear frontrunner, and the race remains unusually wide open. MSI previously reported on the unsettled field in its coverage of the evolving contest.
Mahan has distinguished himself as one of Newsom’s most vocal critics within the Democratic Party. He lambasted Newsom over his handling of homelessness and bucked the governor in 2024 by backing a tough-on-crime ballot measure that increased penalties for some shoplifting and drug offenses. Mahan also criticized Newsom’s focus on President Donald Trump and the governor’s social media trolling in an op-ed last year.
Newsom, who is termed out after this year and is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, was asked about Mahan’s candidacy at an event in San Francisco. He said he does not know the mayor well, adding, “I wish him good luck.”
Mahan is a Harvard graduate with deep ties to the technology industry. He was a tech entrepreneur before running for public office, co-founding a digital political organizing platform called Brigade. He was classmates with Mark Zuckerberg, who Mahan said persuaded him to go into tech instead of law school. Several tech and business leaders, including billionaire Rick Caruso, venture capitalist Garry Tan and angel investor Matt Brezina, have already signaled they would support Mahan’s bid.
Mahan in recent months hosted a number of gubernatorial candidates in San Jose but said no one impressed him. He was first elected as a city councilmember in 2020 before winning the mayoral election in 2022 against a labor-backed candidate. He often joins weekend cleanup efforts along San Jose waterways and city parks. Last year, over opposition from county officials, he successfully pushed a provision to make homeless people eligible for arrest if they reject three offers of shelter.
Other Democratic heavyweights who had been seen as possible candidates, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and state Attorney General Rob Bonta, decided not to run.