This article is part of a partnership between The Mendocino Voice and The Associated Press to bring relevant fact-based and nonpartisan news and information to Mendocino County readers through the AP Fund for Journalism. Learn more about the program here.
SACRAMENTO, 1/29/26 (AP) — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday announced he’s joining the crowded race for California governor, casting himself as a moderate Democrat with a track record of tackling some of the state’s most persistent issues including homelessness and crime.
Elected to lead Silicon Valley’s largest city in 2022, Mahan said his policies have reduced the number of unsheltered homeless in the city, cut fees to speed up housing construction and helped police solve more homicides.
Mahan joins a large and unsettled field of contenders hoping to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Months ahead of the June primary, no Democrat has emerged as a clear frontrunner. The race includes former Biden administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. House member Katie Porter, and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, among others. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton have also announced their bids.
Mahan has emerged as a frequent critic of Newsom. He lambasted Newsom over his handling of homelessness and bucked him in 2024 by backing a tough-on-crime ballot measure to increase 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.
“I’m running to bring focus back to government. To give cities the tools they need to succeed. To show that the best resistance to division is results,” Mahan said in a post announcing his candidacy. “And to prove that California can work again — for everyone.”
Newsom, who’s seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is termed out after this year and cannot run for reelection. Other Democratic heavyweights, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Attorney General Rob Bonta, decided not to run.
Mahan, a 43-year-old Harvard graduate, has deep ties with the tech industry. He was a tech entrepreneur before he ran for public offices, 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. Some tech and business leaders, including billionaire Rick Caruso, venture capitalist Garry Tan and angel investor Matt Brezina, already signaled they would support Mahan’s bid.
Mahan in recent months also hosted a number of gubernatorial candidates in San Jose, but said no one has impressed him. Mahan was first elected as a city councilmember in 2020 before he won the mayoral election in 2022 against a labor-backed candidate.
He often joins weekend clean-up 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 shelters.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This so called moderate democrat is another douche in a suit. Newsom sucks eggs too. We need an actual human with brains as governor. These guys are real estate agents disguised as politicians. They don’t care about rural areas. They don’t care about small business or small towns. They’re badge hags with fat personal wallets and no good ideas. They’ll continue to give us lip service while “public safety” takes all our resources. The drug problems we see in our communities has a direct link to the OxyContin crisis that was created by big pharma and zero political will. Now the feds are taking away funding for programs that help addicts stay off the streets and out of ERs and jails. It’s going to get way worse on the streets and the state governments will probably do nothing but demand more punishment.
As a California republican, I’ve had to compromise on what I expect from our politicians and who to vote for. Over the decades, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the San Jose area. As the economy exploded the area became a hot spot for all kinds of folks. I’m not sure why it ended up with so much unanswered homelessness. It also turned into one of the trashiest places. While most of California struggles to get ahead of these types of issues, Mahan seems to be showing results. I’m never a fan of rhetoric, but the figures tell a compelling story. For now, he’s making a much needed difference in San Jose. We’ll see if keeps that momentum in higher positions. After Newsom and Davis he might be a breath of fresh air. Especially when you compare him to others that have declared a run at the governor’s spot.