Congressman Ro Khanna is under fire for defending controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker while simultaneously holding one of Congress's most profitable stock portfolios — a hypocrisy that's drawing sharp criticism given that Khanna represents Silicon Valley's wealthiest district. The controversy compounds an already turbulent stretch for South Bay politics, with Khanna also co-sponsoring a billionaire wealth tax that would hit the very founders and engineers who built his district. Meanwhile, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is emerging as a rare Democratic voice demanding California fix its $20–35 billion structural deficit before raising taxes further — positioning himself as a credible alternative to Newsom-era spending orthodoxy ahead of the 2026 governor's race.
San Jose's mayor is weighing a run—and his track record of actually fixing homelessness has founders begging him to go statewide.
San Jose's mayor goes on national TV to warn Sacramento that their wealth tax scheme will backfire spectacularly.