San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who has increasingly waded into statewide issues in recent years, is reconsidering his political future and could be preparing to enter California’s crowded race for governor — a contest that so far lacks a clear front-runner.
None of the declared candidates have offered a “clear and compelling” vision for the state, Mahan, 43, said in a phone interview from Sacramento. California, he said, needs “bold and independent leadership,” particularly on homelessness.
“I see business as usual in Sacramento,” said Mahan, who was at the Capitol advocating for reforms aimed at making housing more affordable. “I don’t see anyone acting like it’s a crisis.”
The comments came the same day Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he will not run for governor, instead seeking reelection after suing the Trump administration more than 50 times in the past year.
Bonta had faced growing pressure from supporters in recent months to enter the race, particularly after former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla declined to run to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In a statement, Bonta, a former Alameda city council member and state Assembly member, said the calls have “sharpened my focus and reminded me how grateful I am to work with so many who care so deeply for this state,” but added, “My resolve is firm: our fight against corporate greed and vicious attacks from Washington requires a leader with battle-tested experience in the courtroom.”
Mahan did not say when he would decide whether to run, noting that he still needs to discuss the possibility with his family. If he enters the race, he would join a field in which a large share of voters remain undecided.
Sonoma State University political science professor David McCuan said the open-seat contest has drawn a rush of candidates but few have been able to build sustained momentum, with many polling in the single digits.
McCuan described Mahan as an “unconventional Democrat” and said the mayor’s early political success in San Jose suggests this could be the right moment to make a move.
“Much of politics is about timing,” he said. “And his timing is right for what could come next in his political career.”
Still, McCuan noted that while Mahan is well known in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area, he remains far less familiar to voters in Southern California, where much of the state’s electorate lives.
Mahan burst onto the local political scene in 2020 with his election to the City Council, only to become mayor three years later. A moderate Democrat, he has at times clashed with his own party, emerging as a vocal critic of Newsom’s refusal to fund Proposition 36 — the tough-on-crime ballot measure approved by voters in 2024 amid a wave of smash-and-grabs and open drug use in the state. Mahan has also faulted the governor’s administration for dismissing allegations of waste, fraud and abuse in state programs, arguing those concerns should not be partisan.
As mayor, Mahan has centered his agenda on what he calls a “Back to Basics” approach: addressing homelessness, cleaning up blighted streets and reducing crime. Late last year, he launched a coalition aimed at expanding that model statewide.
“We are taking bold action that is different, that is meant to produce different outcomes,” he said of San Jose’s success in these areas. “I’m not hearing these current candidates think and talk in that way on these big issues.”
Mahan hosted several of the candidates for governor in San Jose last month for a tour of one of the city’s interim housing sites as he pushed for the restoration of key state homelessness funds. None of the Democratic candidates in attendance — including billionaire investor Tom Steyer, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, former state Controller Betty Yee, state schools chief Tony Thurmond and former Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon — struck Mahan as offering the kind of vision he is seeking.
Other Democrats in the race include former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell. Republicans running include former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
A recent Emerson College poll found that about a third of voters remain undecided. Bianco led with 13% support, followed closely by Swalwell and Hilton at 12% each.
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