By: Arnav Singhal

Sports Editor 

Shaking up the already crowded 2026 gubernatorial field, local civic advocate and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has officially announced his candidacy for governor of California. Representing the state’s third-largest city, Mahan is entering the race as a moderate Democrat ready to take on a new role in local governance.

Mahan was raised in Watsonville, California, where he took a grueling four-hour commute to Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard, he returned there to teach middle school English and History through Teach for America. The program introduced Mahan to big tech, inspiring him to start a for-profit Facebook application called Causes. Eventually, Mahan transitioned to public service and joined San Jose’s Clean City Advisory Council for multiple years.

In early 2021, the 43-year-old was elected to the San Jose City Council, later serving as Mayor starting in 2022. After his first two-year term with the city, he was elected for a full four-year term in 2024 with an 87% majority vote. In the past three years, Mahan’s work has resulted in the creation of Emergency Interim Housing, reducing homelessness by over 10%, and his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative, which mandates transitions toward housing. This year alone, Mahan has spearheaded the city’s approach to implementing AI to make public service programs more efficient, while planning for Super Bowl LX and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

As his mayoral term progresses, Mahan is looking to expand his horizons and compete with a heavy-hitting field of Democrats like Xavier Becerra, Katie Porter, and Eric Swalwell. If elected, Mahan looks forward to continuing current Governor Gavin Newsom’s 

Homeless Housing and Prevention grants for cities to address homelessness. He also plans to push for county implementation of Newsom’s Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Courts Act to promote treatment for individuals with psychiatric disorders. Mahan aims to streamline his campaign under a motto of accountability, using his track record in the Bay Area as precedent for change across the state. “I’m running for Governor because we can do better,” Mahan said in his announcement. “I know we can because San Jose is proving it.”

Mahan’s background in the Bay Area has secured him the second-most funding of any candidate and backing from tech moguls like Paul Buchheit, the creator of Gmail, and Garry Tan, the CEO of Y Combinator. While he is still averaging between 3% and 4% in the polls, analysts suggest this number merely reflects Mahan’s low name recognition. With more than 20% of the voters undecided and a background full of success, Mahan is definitely a candidate to watch out for.

(Sources: CalMatters, CBS San Francisco, InsuranceNewsNet, Mahanforgoverner, San José Spotlight, The Daily Spotlight)