San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan Enters Governor Race

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has officially launched his campaign for California governor, marking a dramatic shakeup in what was already a crowded and unpredictable race to succeed Gavin Newsom. Mahan, a Democrat known for his centrist stances and willingness to challenge his own party, confirmed his candidacy on January 29, 2026, in an interview with The Standard and reiterated his announcement during a visit to KQED’s San Francisco offices. His entry into the race brings a new dynamic, as he positions himself as an outsider ready to tackle the state’s most persistent challenges.

At 43, Mahan is the current mayor of San Jose, California’s third-largest city, having first been elected in 2022 in an upset victory over a seasoned political rival, Cindy Chavez. He was reelected in 2024, with his term as mayor running until 2028—a timeline that conveniently allows him to run for governor without relinquishing his city post. According to KQED, this electoral alignment means that even if his gubernatorial bid falls short, Mahan can seek another term as mayor in the future.

Mahan’s political journey is anything but conventional. Raised in Watsonville, a farming town in Santa Cruz County, he is the son of a schoolteacher and a mailman. He attended Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose on scholarship and later graduated from Harvard University. It was there, over a dinner conversation, that he met Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who persuaded him to forgo law school and instead pursue a career in technology. Mahan went on to teach high school before cofounding startups such as Causes and Brigade, the latter of which attracted investments from Silicon Valley heavyweights like Ron Conway and Marc Benioff. After Brigade wound down in 2019, Mahan turned his attention to public service, winning a seat on the San Jose City Council in 2020.

His rapid ascent in local politics culminated in his election as mayor, where he quickly set about challenging the status quo. As reported by KQED and The Standard, Mahan has engineered a significant shift in San Jose’s approach to homelessness. Rather than focusing primarily on permanent housing, he redirected funding toward interim shelter solutions—tiny home communities and temporary beds—leading to a 10% decrease in unsheltered homelessness since he took office. “I know that we can solve the big challenges facing our communities because we’re proving that in San José,” Mahan told KQED. He’s made a point of highlighting these results as evidence that his pragmatic, results-oriented approach can work across the state.

Mahan’s tenure has not been without controversy. He has frequently clashed with fellow Democrats and organized labor over his policies on homelessness and public safety. In particular, he emerged as a leading supporter of Proposition 36—a 2024 ballot initiative that stiffened penalties for theft and drug crimes. The measure, which was opposed by Governor Newsom, passed with broad voter support. “The state should be leading the way on implementation, because 70% of Californians agreed with the premise that people ought to be held accountable for getting treatment when their addiction is harming the broader community,” Mahan argued, as quoted by The Standard.

His tough-on-crime stance and advocacy for stricter rules on unsheltered homelessness have set him apart from many in his party. He has called for a “fair-share framework” in which cities that refuse to build their allocated number of shelter or treatment beds would have to pay other cities that do. “If Los Altos Hills doesn’t want to build the 3.5 units of shelter or treatment that they’re allocated, we could set up a credit system where they pay San Jose to have those beds,” he explained to The Standard. This proposal, he says, would increase accountability and ensure cost-effective solutions to homelessness and behavioral health issues statewide.

Despite his successes in San Jose, Mahan faces significant obstacles as he seeks to translate his local accomplishments onto the statewide stage. As KQED notes, San Jose operates under a “weak mayor” system, where the city manager—rather than the mayor—oversees most day-to-day operations. This could make it harder for Mahan to claim the kind of executive experience boasted by rivals such as former Attorney General Xavier Becerra or former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Additionally, he lacks the name recognition of candidates like Rep. Eric Swalwell or former Rep. Katie Porter, both of whom have deep experience and established followings in California politics.

The gubernatorial field is crowded with prominent Democrats, including Swalwell, Porter, Becerra, Villaraigosa, former state Controller Betty Yee, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and billionaire Tom Steyer, who is expected to invest heavily in his own campaign. On the Republican side, Fox News contributor Steve Hilton is also in the running.

Mahan’s campaign, however, is buoyed by support from Silicon Valley’s tech elite—most notably Y Combinator leader Garry Tan and entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley. While this backing could provide the financial muscle needed for a serious statewide campaign, some experts remain skeptical. “Fundraising will be a major challenge for him if he runs,” Terry Christensen, professor emeritus at San Jose State University, told San Jose Spotlight. “It takes a lot of money to be a serious statewide candidate.”

Politically, Mahan is carving out a moderate, party-bucking lane. He’s positioned himself as a “change” candidate, standing outside the state’s political establishment. “I think that what I can most add to the campaign is that as the only current mayor of a large city, I’m closest to the problems and solutions that we need,” Mahan told KQED. He’s also been critical of the focus on national political battles, particularly the combative social media strategy employed by Governor Newsom in his ongoing feud with former President Donald Trump. “Trolling Trump won’t be key to success for Democrats,” Mahan argued, calling such tactics a “sugar high” for voters. Instead, he prefers to focus on local issues and tangible results. “I will not be shy about standing up to this administration for the sake of our people and our democracy,” he said. “I also think it’s important to remember that the best resistance is delivering results.”

Interestingly, Mahan rarely criticizes Trump directly, a stance that could either help or hurt him depending on the mood of Democratic primary voters. As KQED points out, Newsom’s approval ratings have soared as he’s clashed with Trump—suggesting that many Democrats want a leader who is willing to fight on the national stage. Mahan, for his part, believes that fixing California’s problems is the best way to demonstrate resistance to policies coming out of Washington.

His decision to run was not made lightly. Mahan credits his wife with encouraging him to reconsider entering the race, citing their shared concerns about both national politics and local issues. “She and I are both worried about the direction of the country on the one hand—particularly what we’re seeing out of Minneapolis right now—but also the issues we face locally that we’re starting to get traction on in San José but are going to require a different kind of leadership and partnership from our state government,” he told KQED.

With his campaign now underway, Mahan is betting that voters are ready for a new approach—one rooted in pragmatic problem-solving, accountability, and a willingness to challenge entrenched interests. Whether that message will resonate in a state as vast and diverse as California remains to be seen, but Mahan’s candidacy has already ensured that the 2026 governor’s race will be one to watch.