Tech leaders back former tech executive Matt Mahan in California governor race

Silicon Valley money is settling behind San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a 43-year-old former tech executive who entered California’s governor’s race in January and quickly cast himself as the pragmatic Democrat in a crowded field. His appeal to donors has been built on a familiar set of issues, homelessness, crime and government accountability, along with a hard line against a proposed billionaires’ tax he argues could drive wealthy residents out of the state.

The financial support has been unusually loud. Outside groups and major Silicon Valley donors helped fund a Super Bowl ad meant to introduce Mahan to voters statewide, and campaign filings have shown millions in backing from tech figures and billionaires, including several prominent names in the Silicon Valley orbit. Progressive lawmakers and labor-aligned critics have responded by portraying Mahan as a vehicle for big tech influence rather than an independent reformer.

The race is unfolding under a compressed and volatile calendar. County elections officials began mailing ballots on May 4 for California’s June 2 statewide primary, and the last day to register to vote is May 18. Under the state’s top-two system, the two highest vote-getters advance to the Nov. 3 general election if no candidate wins a majority, a setup that leaves a crowded field and a large bloc of undecided voters with real leverage.

Mahan’s statewide profile has grown largely through his criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Legislature’s response to homelessness, crime and addiction treatment. That message has found an audience among tech leaders seeking a more business-friendly governor after Newsom, who is term-limited and cannot run again in 2026. It also puts Mahan at the center of a larger question in California politics: whether voters want a new governing model rooted in Silicon Valley’s managerial style, or another version of donor-driven power politics.

For now, the contest remains unsettled. Mahan has money, attention and a clean contrast with Sacramento’s Democratic leadership, but he is still facing a race with dozens of candidates and no clear front-runner. The early Silicon Valley investment suggests a high-stakes bet that a former tech executive can turn private-sector credibility into statewide power, and shape the next battle over housing, taxes and the role of technology interests in California government.