He\u2019s from the largest city in Northern California. You know, the one down south from us? Starts with \u201cS.\u201d<\/p>\n
Be careful poking fun at San Jose when you\u2019re speaking with Mayor Matt Mahan. The gubernatorial candidate is a fierce defender of his city, one he says has made progress on housing and homelessness, reasons he thinks he should become governor<\/a>. A pro-business moderate, Mahan has attracted big donations from deep-pocketed techies, with his latest campaign total coming in at $8.5 million, according to a source familiar with the matter. An independent committee has raised millions more and spent $1.4 million for an ad (opens in new tab)<\/a> during the Super Bowl (opens in new tab)<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy values are very progressive,\u201d Mahan said during an interview this week on our podcast \u201cPacific Standard Time.\u201d \u201cMy means are very pragmatic.\u201d Here are four takeaways from our conversation with the gubernatorial hopeful.<\/p>\n San Jose\u2019s unaffordability could be Mahan\u2019s liability<\/p>\n While San Francisco is known as a pricey city, San Jose is the most expensive urban area in California, a recent report shows.<\/a><\/p>\n Mahan said San Jose has been unaffordable for decades, describing the city as a \u201cvictim of its own success.\u201d He also pointed out the flip side: The area has provided unparalleled upward mobility, citing a study (opens in new tab)<\/a> by Harvard economist Raj Chetty.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mahan said housing reform measures are one way to bring down costs. But it remains to be seen whether he can successfully navigate affordability while his more progressive counterparts across the country, such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have used the issue to criticize centrist Democrats.<\/p>\n Fighting Trump isn\u2019t one of his main priorities<\/p>\n Mahan has taken a similar tack to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, arguing that a well-run Democratic city is the best defense against President Donald Trump.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think that we have a duty to deliver and demonstrate that our values in California work in practice, that they actually create communities that are safer, more vibrant, more inclusive economically, and that create more opportunity for people,\u201d he said. \u201cThat, to me, is the most important thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n