California Governor’s intense election campaign has now added a strong contender: San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced his candidacy on Thursday, joining the race.
At 43 years old, Mahan, an entrepreneur by background, was elected as the mayor of San Jose in 2022 for the first time. He is considered a moderate Democrat. As a fellow Democrat, Mahan has often criticized current Governor Newsom for his handling of the drug abuse and homelessness issues.
Mahan also criticized Newsom’s fiscal budget for 2026-27, accusing him of delaying resolving California’s problems. He believes he understands the biggest issues facing California better than any other candidate and has clearer solutions. According to Newsom’s budget proposal released in early January, there is an estimated $29 billion shortfall for the next fiscal year. The California nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office estimates an annual budget deficit of $30 billion.
Mahan’s reform proposals resonate with various groups dissatisfied with recent policies. Since taking office as the mayor of San Jose, he has significantly reduced the number of homeless individuals in the area, lowered tax burdens, and relaxed regulations to encourage the construction of affordable housing and meet the needs of low-income families.
“Our big cities are often the first to encounter problems and test solutions,” Mahan posted on X, “In San Jose, our solutions have proven effective. I look forward to extending these solutions throughout California.”
After Mahan announced his candidacy, he quickly gained support from business leaders in the San Jose area. The Silicon Valley Leadership Group praised Mahan’s decision in a statement. The group’s CEO Ahmad Thomas told the San Jose Spotlight that California needs a pragmatic leader.
Mahan’s stance aligns with Democrats on issues such as abortion, gun safety, climate change, and immigration, but he takes a tougher stance on crime. Mahan was a supporter of Proposition 36, passed in California in November 2024, which aims to harshly punish repeat offenders of theft and drug crimes, and address the drug crisis through mandatory rehabilitation.
Mahan is a Democrat, with six other Democratic candidates: former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Congresswoman Katie Porter, entrepreneur and billionaire Tom Steyer, current Congressman Eric Swalwell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former State Controller Betty Yee.
On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton are running. They led in a poll conducted by Emerson College on December 4 last year, with support rates of 13% and 12% respectively (Swalwell also had 12% support).
Porter briefly led among Democratic candidates, but her support declined after a video surfaced showing her yelling at staff during a call.
Swalwell is neck and neck with Hilton in support. However, he was recently removed from the House Intelligence Committee for his involvement with Chinese spy “Fang Fang.” His partisan steadfastness in policy may result in voters not seeing a significant difference between state policies and the current governor’s if elected.
With only four months left until the primary election, Mahan has already lost a lot of time. Whether he can stand out in the Democratic competition remains to be seen. Following Mahan’s announcement to run, Steyer’s camp quickly launched attacks, labeling him as a tool of large tech companies.
Despite facing immense pressure within the party, Mahan has shown strong potential from the beginning of his candidacy. As of the 30th, data from the prediction market Polymarket shows Swalwell at 41% chance of winning, Mahan at 34%, Porter at 9%, and Steyer at 7%.
Republican candidate Hilton told The Washington Post that Mahan completely aligns with the Democratic orthodox view on climate change, the very perspective causing California’s highest gasoline, electricity, and housing costs in the nation and prompting many businesses to leave.
The primary is scheduled for June 2, with the top two candidates (regardless of party) advancing to the November gubernatorial election. ◇