Tech leaders are betting on a former executive to take the lead in the California governor's race. The 43-year-old mayor of San Jose, Matt Mahan is a moderate Democrat who has built his profile mainly by criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom on homelessness and crime.
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The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airHow 2 men claimed an absurd record by driving an old 3-wheel car the length of AfricaBackyard vegetable gardens are healthy for people and the planet. Here's how to start yoursA PGA golfer took his shirt off and approached a gator-filled hazard. AP's photographer was readyBackyard vegetable gardens are healthy for people and the planet.
Here's how to start yoursFDA announces its first OK of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults in major shift under TrumpJuul gets FDA's OK to keep selling tobacco and menthol e-cigarettesGoogle overhauls its Maps app, adding in more AI features to help people get aroundDid you find an animal nesting near your house? Here's what to doADL reports a sharp drop in US antisemitic incidents in 2025, driven by a steep fall on campusesMatt Mahan speaks with members of the media following a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Antonio Villaraigosa, right, and Matt Mahan speak during a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Matt Mahan speaks during a gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.
, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Candidates in California’s gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, and Steve Hilton look on during a gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in San Francisco. Matt Mahan speaks with members of the media following a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Matt Mahan speaks with members of the media following a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Antonio Villaraigosa, right, and Matt Mahan speak during a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Antonio Villaraigosa, right, and Matt Mahan speak during a California gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Matt Mahan speaks during a gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Matt Mahan speaks during a gubernatorial debate hosted by CBS LA at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. , Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Candidates in California’s gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, and Steve Hilton look on during a gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in San Francisco.
Candidates in California’s gubernatorial race, from left, Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, and Steve Hilton look on during a gubernatorial debate hosted by Nexstar Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in San Francisco. . Others have dumped millions to boost his campaign, even paying for a Super Bowl ad to introduce him to voters. He’s against a proposedin January, touting himself as a pragmatic problem-solver.
A moderate Democrat, Mahan has built his statewide profile mainly by criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature’s response to homelessness and crime. His centrist message has appealed to tech leaders who want a business-friendly governor to succeed Newsom, a longtime tech ally who’s terming out. In just three months, Mahan has raised more than any of his rivals, many of whom have been running for more than a year.
(, he criticized his rivals as career politicians while crafting himself as the candidate with practical solutions to the state’s challenges.
“We don’t need MAGA values, but we also don’t need more of the same,” Mahan said, referring to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement supported by Republican rivals Chad Bianco andBut Mahan doesn’t appear to have yet gained the momentum he expected or the widespread name recognition to beat his rivals — and he’s running out of time to win over voters ahead of the June 2 primary. His ties to tech are of particular concern to labor unions and a segment of Democratic voters who question whether he’ll stand up to the industry.
“People do not want somebody who is a puppet of these big tech billionaires, of these AI billionaires — and that’s who he has always been,” said Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, president of the California Labor Federation, which has endorsed Steyer, former U.S. Rep. Mahan said he’s the only candidate who has experience with the behemoth industry, pointing to a coalition he created in San Jose where more than 900 public agencies work together to explore responsible ways to implement artificial intelligence in government.
In Tuesday’s debate, he said he supports taxing AI companies to fund workforce development.
“Voters can see past the kind of, you know, shallow connection that because I’m the mayor of the largest city in Silicon Valley, that might mean that I’m not willing to regulate tech,” Mahan told The Associated Press. “It’s actually been quite the opposite. ” Observers note California is known for leading the way on policies aimed at both boosting and reining in its home-grown tech industry.
“If they can ensure that they get a governor in California who’s weak on tech accountability, then that can save them a lot of money across the states,” J.B. Branch of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group, said of the Silicon Valley leaders supporting Mahan.rises. Independent groups backed by tech companies and billionaires have already committed at least $40 million to influence California legislative races.
Political committees backing Mahan have raised more than $25 million, including donations from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, venture capitalist Michael Moritz and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. Some donors, like Brin and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, are hedging their bets — they also gave to Hilton, the former Fox News host.
Mahan is “focused on actually solving problems — building more housing, improving public safety and making it possible for people to live and work here again,” Garry Tan, who leads a startup accelerator that helped launch companies like Airbnb and DoorDash, said through a spokesperson. Mahan was part of the team that built an early Facebook app called Causes that allowed users to promote nonprofit organizations. He then co-founded Brigade, a nonpartisan online voter network.
But that’s not at the center of Mahan’s campaign. He’s focused instead on his upbringing as the son of a postal worker and a schoolteacher. He’s the only major Democrat who wants to suspend the state’s gas tax. He defeated a labor-backed candidate for mayor in 2022 after serving two years on the city council.
As mayor, he convinced council members to direct more city money toward short-term housing to get homeless people off the streets and made them eligible forfor rejecting shelters. Both efforts faced fierce opposition, but San Jose last year saw a drop in the number of people without access to shelters, according to county data.
Mahan has committed to not raising taxes to fix budget holes — including with a one-time tax on billionaires that most of his rivals are also against. He wants to incentivize elected state officials and appointees by tying future pay raises to improvements on issues like unemployment rates and homelessness.
“Raising taxes isn’t always the answer, Tom,” he pointedly said Tuesday when Steyer pitched a plan to make corporations pay more in property taxes. Mahan raised more than $13 million in 11 weeks, allowing him to launch television ads to reach voters in some of the most expensive markets in the country. Two independent expenditure groups have spent more than $18 million to boost him.
As of last month, only about 730 donations given to Mahan’s campaign were less than $250, indicating limited grassroots support. In contrast, almost all of Porter’s 46,000 donations were under that amount, as were about 5,600 of those to former state attorney general Xavier Becerra. Still, voters’ support for the other Democratic candidates “is very soft” Mahan said of his chance.
“Even if people are leaning a certain way, they’re still persuadable. ” Tech moguls’ support of Mahan’s candidacy and his plans to regulate them were among the most popular topics during a recent “Ask Me Anything” session Mahan hosted on Reddit, where people can ask questions anonymously.18
Tom Steyer California Sergei Brin Matt Mahan Donald Trump U.S. Democratic Party Taxes General News Domestic News 2026 Elections Politics Steve Hilton Homelessness Chad Bianco U.S. News Joe Lonsdale Technology Garry Tan Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher Steve Huffman Reddit Inc. Xavier Becerra Katie Porter Meta Platforms Inc. Elections Michael Moritz Alphabet Inc. Mark Zuckerberg Antonio Villaraigosa Information Technology San Jose Artificial Intelligence Labor Unions U.S. News
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