San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced his run for California Governor on January 29, 2026, armed with a record no rival can match: 2,000 homes built after zero in 2024, unsheltered homelessness down 23%, and the safest big city ranking in America. He's positioning himself as the anti-Sacramento candidate who actually delivers—and is now drawing contrasts with Tom Steyer's tax-and-spend vision.
Mahan officially declares for Governor on January 29, 2026. The announcement drops with receipts: San Jose named safest big city in America for first time in 20+ years, 100% homicide clearance rate for four years, unsheltered homelessness down nearly a third. His interim housing beds run at 95% utilization, costing $18,000 per bed annually — a fraction of SF’s spending.
January 29, 2026 · 5 min read
At the first gubernatorial debate, Mahan draws fire from Tom Steyer ($27M spent) on his left and Steve Hilton on his right. Steyer attacks him for tech support; Hilton attacks him for crediting Newsom on homelessness. Mahan’s response: ‘Our politics has been oversimplified by populists on both sides.’ He walks away with the best reviews and 2,000 housing units as proof.
Feb 04, 2026 · 4 min
Mahan attacks California’s $20-30 billion unemployment fraud scandal as proof the state doesn’t need more taxes — it needs competence. One-third of community college applications are fraudulent. $2 billion in LA homeless spending is unaccounted for. His pitch: ‘Ask government to do better before we ask taxpayers to pay more.’ The mailman’s son who worked maintenance to afford prep school has actual results.
Feb 04, 2026 · 4 min
The housing receipts land: zero market-rate homes built in San Jose in 2024, then 2,000+ broke ground in 2025. Mahan passed a 50% construction tax cut and fee reductions in December 2024. Another 2,000 expected in 2026. Economists estimate NIMBYism costs every American $8,775/year in lost wages — Mahan is running on proving YIMBY policy works.
Feb 04, 2026 · 3 min
Five days into the race, Mahan sharpens his anti-politician message. When asked what new idea he’d bring to Sacramento, he gives a CEO’s answer: ‘Ideas are cheap, execution is everything.’ He predicts San Jose’s homeless reduction will exceed one-third by the next count. The contrast is Jerry Brown — California’s last competent governor.
Feb 03, 2026 · 3 min
Mahan unveils his six-point ‘Back to Basics’ platform: housing, treatment, safety, schools, jobs, accountability. No new ideas — just execution of obvious ones California has failed to implement. His tagline: ‘The best resistance is results.’ San Jose’s 23% drop in unsheltered homelessness makes him the only candidate with proof of concept.
Jan 30, 2026 · 4 min
One day after announcing, Mahan’s campaign emphasizes the ‘build first, then enforce’ model. San Jose’s unsheltered population dropped from 5,100 in 2019 to under 4,000 in 2025 by adding 1,000+ interim beds before clearing encampments. The uncomfortable stat: one-third of homeless people offered new apartments refused. Sacramento, meanwhile, vetoed bipartisan enforcement bills.
Jan 30, 2026 · 3 min
Mahan signals he’s ‘deciding within weeks’ whether to run for Governor, drawing tech community support and testimonials from San Jose residents who witnessed the turnaround firsthand. He breaks with Democratic leadership by backing Prop 36 — the crime crackdown that voters passed overwhelmingly. The contrast with Sacramento’s inaction is the entire pitch.
Jan 13, 2026 · 2 min
Mahan goes on national TV three weeks before announcing his gubernatorial bid to warn that California’s proposed wealth tax will backfire. His argument: the top 1% already pay 46% of state taxes, and when they flee, middle-class families absorb the burden. Peter Thiel and Larry Page are reportedly weighing exits. UC Berkeley’s Moretti backs him up: ‘The losses will exceed the benefits.’
Jan 09, 2026 · 2 min
