San José residents gathered at Abraham Lincoln High School for Mayor Matt Mahan’s governor kickoff event.
Mahan announced that he would be running for Governor on Jan. 29 during a news
conference held outside an emergency housing shelter, according to an article from Kron 4.
“I’m standing before you today, as a candidate for Governor of California, to fight for our state’s progressive values, with pragmatic solutions,” Mahan said in his kickoff speech.
Though Mahan is running as a Democrat, he’s garnered a reputation for being more of a moderate Democrat during his time as mayor, according to a 2026 article from CalMatters.
In his speech at the campaign kickoff event, Mahan voiced his support for Proposition 36, a Republican-backed initiative to allow harsher penalties for theft.
The proposition would turn some theft misdemeanors into felonies, as well as lengthening felony sentences, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
“We will ensure that those who are a danger to themselves and or to others get the treatment they so desperately need,” Mahan said.
Mahan has also spoken out against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s resistance to President Donald J. Trump’s administration.
Mahan said in an interview with CNN anchor Elex Michaelson that California needs to focus less on fighting against the president and spend more time dealing with internal issues.
He said some of the issues he plans to tackle are living costs in California, supporting the public school system and solving the unhoused crisis facing Californians.
In March 2025, Mahan announced his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative, stating that unhoused people that refuse shelter three times within an 18 month period could face a trespassing violation with an arrest, according to a June 4, 2025 San José Spotlight article.
Mahan has since redefined the initiative, stating each case should be evaluated individually, according to the same source.
President Trump and Mahan seem to be in agreement on handling the unhoused crisis, with Trump issuing an executive order on July 24, 2025 that prioritizes funding for cities that prohibit homeless encampments as well as drug use in public.
Chelsea Mueller, communications director at Destination: Home, said that this approach is not ideal.
“It’s inefficient, ineffective and inhumane to criminalize those that are forced to live outside … and there’s a lot of evidence that shows that it’s not a good use of the municipality’s resources,” Mueller said.
Destination: Home is an organization focused on finding solutions to homelessness, according to the website.
Former Behavioral Health Court Judge Richard Loftus wrote in a letter to the San José City Council that the proposal was misguided, according to the same article.
“It will not achieve its stated objective,” Loftus wrote. “The justice system does not work the way this proposal contemplates.”
Wolfe Cevorov, a San José local, shared his story of being unhoused at the campaign kickoff.
“(Mahan) and the City of San José thought outside the box to find new ways to help those of us who need a helping hand,” Cevorov said.
Cevorov was given assistance by Homes First – a nonprofit organization that provides housing for people experiencing homelessness – and moved into a tiny home for four years before he was able to secure a permanent home, according to an April 2, 2025 article from NBC Bay Area.
Mahan has been a strong advocate for interim housing, with 11 temporary housing sites opening in San José in the last year, according to an article from KQED.
Joining the race late, Mahan has been significantly low in the polls; however, he’s garnered support from business executives and big tech millionaires, which could give him the funding he needs to catch up, according to an article from Politico.
Mahan has spoken out against the Billionaire tax, a proposed one time 5% tax on billionaires net worth, according to an article published by CNBC.
In an X post, Mahan said that billionaires would leave California if the tax was implemented, consequentially hurting the economy.
Comments under the post reflected both positive and negative responses, with critics calling out Mahan for “sucking up” to billionaires.
Mahan’s campaign slogan is “Back to Basics,” and was apparent in his speech at his campaign kickoff.
He stressed the importance of simple solutions starting at home, prioritizing building the middle class and lowering taxes.
“Too many families are struggling because California is just too expensive, but too many politicians want to make it even more expensive,” Mahan said. “Too many politicians have forgotten that spending more is not the same thing as doing better.”
