Mahan Takes Fire From Both Sides—And Wins

A billionaire spending $27 million attacks a mayor for having tech support. The irony writes itself. But Matt Mahan isn’t backing down—he’s calling out the populist BS from both sides.

At the first major televised gubernatorial debate, Mahan drew fire from the left and the right. Tom Steyer, who has spent $27 million on the race—nearly twice the combined spending of every other top contender—attacked Mahan for having support from tech. And Republican Steve Hilton went after him for praising Gavin Newsom’s homelessness efforts.

Mahan’s response? “Our politics has been oversimplified by populists on both sides and you deserve real answers not easy answers.”

That’s the common-sense center. And it’s exactly why he’s already looking forward to the next debate:

Archived tweet

Looking forward to the next debate! https://t.co/UdRR7868ra

Mayor Matt Mahan @MattMahanSJ February 04, 2026

Mahan Takes Fire From All Sides—And Stands His Ground

Steyer’s attack line tells you everything about where Democratic politics has gone wrong: “Right now the big tech CEOs are terrified about the idea of paying their fair share. Right now they’re supporting Matt. Who have I got? I’ve got the nurses, I’ve got the bus drivers, I’ve got the cafeteria workers, I’ve got the custodians.”

Here’s the billionaire who spent $27 million pretending he’s a man of the people. Mahan, meanwhile, responded that he supports closing tax loopholes on the wealthy but that the proposed wealth tax would hurt the state.

Then Hilton piled on, claiming to be “amazed” that Mahan gave Newsom any credit on homelessness. Mahan fired back: “I don’t know what changed in the last week, but it seems (to be) the fact that I jumped into this race. Frankly, that’s exactly what’s wrong with our politics.”

That’s what happens when you stand firmly in the common-sense center: you take fire from both extremes. But Mahan can take the heat—because he has results.

The Wealth Tax Steyer Won’t Talk About

Steyer frames his position as “paying your fair share.” But the proposed California wealth tax isn’t just a billionaire tax—it’s a destroy tech in California proposition.

The tax would be an unrealized gains tax on paper wealth. A startup founder becomes a “paper billionaire” around $5 billion valuation—YC produces 2-4 of these per year. The tax as written would force founders like Larry Page and Sergey Brin to sell 50% of their voting shares or leave California. It targets the very people who build companies, create jobs, and drive the innovation that makes California California.

And the guy pushing hardest for this? A billionaire who spent $27 million—2x everyone else combined—on attack ads. Steyer’s populism is performance art funded by the very wealth he claims to despise.

Results vs. Rhetoric: Mahan’s Actual Record

Matt Mahan is the right person for the CA governor job. He got over 2,000 housing units built in 2025 in San Jose, when in 2024 ZERO market-rate units were built. He has the courage to pass the policies that create prosperity and serve the people.

San Jose’s unsheltered homeless population dropped 23% under Mahan—from over 5,100 in 2019 to fewer than 4,000 in 2025. He built interim housing sites. He pushed accountability measures to actually get people indoors.

While other Democrats at the debate all said the same things about being “ready on day one” and being a “fighter,” Mahan distinguished himself. Political science professor Melissa Michelson said it plainly: Mahan had the “most unique vision among Democrats, presenting a message that appeared to resonate with viewers.”

The Front-Runners Who Hid

The biggest names in the race didn’t even show up. Republican Sheriff Chad Bianco, former Rep. Katie Porter, and Rep. Eric Swalwell all skipped the debate citing “schedule conflicts.”

Swalwell stayed in Washington to vote against ICE funding. Performance over substance. Steve Hilton, the lone Republican on stage, seized the opportunity: “Chad Bianco has more baggage than LAX.”

The candidates leading in polls thought they could afford to skip. But Mahan showed up, took fire from every direction, and won the night. As strategist Dan Schnur noted, Bianco’s absence gave Hilton the chance to “cement his status among Republican voters” while Bianco hid.

California needs a governor who builds things, not one who just attacks builders. Mahan has 2,000 housing units and a 23% drop in street homelessness to show for his leadership. Steyer has $27 million in attack ads and a tax plan that would drive every startup founder out of the state. The choice is obvious.

Matt Mahan is the future of California. The next debate is coming—and Mahan will be ready.