San Jose mayor, a frequent Newsom critic, jumps into the California governor’s race

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday announced he’s joining the crowded race for California governor, casting himself as a moderate Democrat with a track record of tackling some of the state’s most persistent issues including homelessness and crime.

Elected to lead Silicon Valley’s largest city in 2022, Mahan said his policies have reduced the number of unsheltered homeless in the city, cut fees to speed up housing construction and helped police solve more homicides.

Mahan joins a large and unsettled field of contenders hoping to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Months ahead of the June primary, no Democrat has emerged as a clear frontrunner. The race includes former Biden administration Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, former U.S. House member Katie Porter, and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, among others. Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton have also announced their bids.

Mahan has emerged as a frequent critic of Newsom. He lambasted Newsom over his handling of homelessness and bucked him in 2024 by backing a tough-on-crime ballot measure to increase penalties for some shoplifting and drug offenses. Mahan also criticized Newsom’s focus on President Donald Trump and the governor’s social media trolling in an op-ed last year.

“I’m running to bring focus back to government. To give cities the tools they need to succeed. To show that the best resistance to division is results,” Mahan said in a post announcing his candidacy. “And to prove that California can work again — for everyone.”

Newsom, who’s seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is termed out after this year and cannot run for reelection. Other Democratic heavyweights, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Attorney General Rob Bonta, decided not to run.

Mahan, a 43-year-old Harvard graduate, has deep ties with the tech industry. He was a tech entrepreneur before he ran for public offices, co-founding a digital political organizing platform called Brigade. He was classmates with Mark Zuckerberg, who Mahan said persuaded him to go into tech instead of law school. Some tech and business leaders, including billionaire Rick Caruso, venture capitalist Garry Tan and angel investor Matt Brezina, already signaled they would support Mahan’s bid.

Mahan in recent months also hosted a number of gubernatorial candidates in San Jose, but said no one has impressed him. Mahan was first elected as a city councilmember in 2020 before he won the mayoral election in 2022 against a labor-backed candidate.

He often joins weekend clean-up efforts along San Jose waterways and city parks. Last year, over opposition from county officials, he successfully pushed a provision to make homeless people eligible for arrest if they reject three offers of shelters.