SANTA BARBARA, California — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday launched his campaign for the 2026 California governor’s race, making him the latest Democratic candidate looking to fill Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) seat in Sacramento.
Mahan announced his late bid less than five months before the primary, joining a crowded Democratic primary that has yet to produce a front-runner. The rough tally in the wide-open governor’s race now stands at more than a dozen Democratic candidates and a handful of Republicans.
“I’m running to bring focus back to government,” Mahan said in an X post. “To give cities the tools they need to succeed. To show that the best resistance to division is results. And to prove that California can work again — for everyone. That’s why I’m running.”
Mahan’s decision to join the race stems from it lacking a candidate with what he calls a “back to basics agenda” who is focused on the betterment of California, rather than an anti-Trump agenda.
A vocal Newsom critic, Mahan has set his sights on issues such as homelessness and drug addiction, while separating himself from other candidates by employing a moderate approach.
Mahan receives cold reception from California Democrats
Not all Democrats are pleased with Mahan’s entry into the race, as it could siphon support from other Democratic candidates and give Republicans the edge in the state’s jungle primary in June, in which the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the general election.
“With all due respect, Matt Mahan is a nobody statewide, a political force only in his own mind because he likes to publicly crap on Newsom,” longtime California Democratic political strategist Garry South told the Washington Examiner. “I doubt his statewide name ID would be more than 2% or 3% — and some of them probably would have him confused with Dot McMahan, the Olympic runner. Plus, despite being a lovely city and California’s third-largest, San Jose is the political black hole of California and has never produced a governor or a U.S. senator.”
Mahan is trying to change that, but acknowledged to the Washington Examiner, it won’t be easy.
He has irked members of his own party by holding firm on the homelessness crisis and backing tougher-on-crime policies. He said he wanted to see a gubernatorial candidate offer “a bold, back-to-basics vision” for California. When no one met his expectations, the former Silicon Valley startup executive decided to run himself.
Mahan has gotten in hot water for saying homeless people should be arrested if they are living on the streets and have refused shelter three times. It’s a rare approach for an elected official in a liberal Bay Area city but one that has gained support.
“Mayor Mahan’s governance style and approach adopts a more independent streak from the status quo in California politics,” Jeff Le, managing principal at 100 Mile Strategies and former deputy Cabinet secretary to former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, told the Washington Examiner.
Rising rates of homelessness in Silicon Valley, one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, have frustrated residents and left them open to proposals that would have once seemed too right-leaning in the dark blue metropolis. Mahan has insisted he’s not trying to punish people for being homeless. He wants to enforce trespassing laws if someone living on the streets has repeatedly been offered and refused interim housing.
The early response to Mahan running for governor has run the gamut, with California-based sources telling the Washington Examiner that his entry could “shake things up,” while others say Mahan has “no chance in hell” of winning.
One group not thrilled with Mahan eyeing the governor’s office is the San Jose Spotlight editorial board. They called him too green to run America’s most populous state, which also happens to be the world’s fifth-largest economy.
“The move shortchanges hundreds of thousands of San Jose residents who elected him mayor four years ago,” the editorial board of the San Jose Spotlight wrote. “He promised change, innovation, and solutions to the city’s most urgent problems — affordable housing, homelessness, blight, and public safety — that leaders before him couldn’t solve. But without even completing a full mayoral term, Mahan is ready to bail and move up the political ranks.”
The editorial also criticized Mahan for never serving a full term in any political role he has held and questioned his commitment.
“He won a San Jose City Council seat in March 2020 — and before the ink could dry on his new letterhead, he was eyeing the mayor’s seat,” the board wrote. “He won the mayor’s race in November 2022, and he’s already looking for the nearest exit.”
The San Jose mayor, who is no stranger to uphill battles, wants to prove the naysayers wrong.
Newsom-critical candidate in a progressive Democratic field
The Silicon Valley man brings a moderate Democratic profile and record of outspoken critique of Newsom’s handling of issues such as crime, housing, fraud, and public safety.
Mahan, 43, framed his campaign as a contrast to Sacramento’s status quo and said leadership needs to produce “serious solutions” to problems constituents are facing.
In discussions about whether or not he’d seek the governor’s seat, Mahan questioned Sacramento’s approach to homelessness and public safety, arguing that state leaders have failed to provide sufficient support and resources for local communities.
When Newsom flaunted a 9% decrease in homelessness, Mahan said, “I paused and waited for the rest of the explanation as to why it’s happening.”
He credited the decrease, in part, to San Jose reducing its homeless population by roughly a third.
A particular point of contention between Newsom and Mahan has been Proposition 36, a crime measure reclassifying certain offenses as felonies and pushing for treatment initiatives.
Although voters approved Prop 36, Mahan has criticized Newsom for lacking any specific plan to get it up and running.
“The state should be leaning in. It should be providing technical assistance, funding for implementation, creating a framework,” Mahan said. “When people pass things, they expect their leaders to listen.”
Mahan also took a strong stance on California’s alleged rampant fraud under Newsom’s leadership, condemning state officials for ignoring signs that fraud was growing and hurting taxpayers.
In positioning himself as a more moderate candidate, Mahan has opened the door for collaboration with Republicans such as fellow gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
Polling shows prime opportunity for shake-up
Entering the race somewhat late in the game with a platform that sets him apart from his left-leaning peers, Mahan has the opportunity to jump ahead of other candidates. Recent polling shows a fragmented democratic field.
The top candidates in recent polling are Republican candidates Chad Bianco and Hilton, followed by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter.
In contrast to Mahan, Swalwell and Porter are on the more progressive side of the political spectrum and have made names for themselves through their opposition to President Donald Trump.
If the two Republicans leading in the polls managed to get the most votes in the primary, due to the Left being unable to unite around one or two Democratic candidates, the GOP would effectively shut out the Democrats from the general election.
If a Democrat does make it to the final showdown, which is overwhelmingly likely despite early polling numbers, he or she would be the heavy favorite to beat any Republican that makes it to the general. California has been a Democratic stronghold for decades, and the most recent poll shows the left-leaning party with a 20-point advantage over its right-wing counterparts.
Porter was previously seen as the front-runner in the race, but has not even eclipsed the Republican candidates in recent polling. Even in the most recent poll, sponsored by Porter, she came in third place behind both Republicans. Other polls have her neck and neck with Swalwell.
A closer look at Mahan the man
Mahan was born in San Francisco and raised by working-class parents. His mother was a Catholic school teacher, and his father was a letter carrier. His parents, whom he described to the Washington Examiner during an in-depth interview as “young and poor at the time,” eventually moved to the small farming town of Watsonville.
His interest in politics was piqued at an early age when he saw the challenges of crime, unemployment, and poor education in his hometown. When it was time for high school, Mahan was offered a full work-study scholarship for low-income students at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose. He had a four-hour daily commute, joined the wrestling team, and worked on the grounds crew in the summers to help pay for his education.
Mahan was accepted to Harvard University, where he was an honors student and president of the student body. After graduating, he spent a year in Bolivia building irrigation systems for farmers. He eventually returned to San Jose to teach English and history to middle school children.
THE SAN JOSE WAY: MAYOR MATT MAHAN ISN ‘T AFRAID OF PUSH BACK ON NEWSOM IN NAME OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
Mahan then joined Causes, a startup and early Facebook app. He worked his way up from director of business development to CEO. Causes, which allowed people to raise awareness and funds for nonprofit organizations, grew to 190 million users in more than 150 countries. He also co-founded Brigade, the world’s first voter network platform that allowed people to discuss matters and advocate their elected officials.
Since then, Mahan has been on a government kick. He has served on neighborhood and civic boards and ran for city council in 2020, focusing his campaign on improving the quality of life by holding city hall accountable. He cleared his calendar and spent nine months on the campaign trail, knocking on more than 10,000 doors.