The election year has barely started — but a handful of Silicon Valley races are shaping up. San Jose Councilmember David Cohen announced his run for California Senate District 10, which represents parts of Santa Clara and Alameda counties. The district’s current seat holder, Aisha Wahab, is running for Congressional District 14 held by Eric...
San Jose mayor spars with gubernatorial candidates during debate
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan faced his first major test as a contender for California governor Tuesday during a televised debate. The debate, hosted in San Francisco by KTVU, had Mahan standing shoulder to shoulder with six other candidates — conservative TV news pundit Steve Hilton, billionaire Tom Steyer, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former...
San Jose mayor jumps into governor’s race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday joined the race for California governor, putting to rest months of will-he-won’t-he speculation about his gubernatorial ambitions. “We need to stand up for our rights, for our freedoms and for our neighbors. We need to use the tools we have at hand to protect our democracy,” Mahan posted...
Proposed state budget shortchanges Santa Clara County
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants Americans to see him as the antithesis to President Donald Trump. So Santa Clara County officials could be forgiven for thinking he’d shield them from federal cuts to public health care. Instead, they question whether he’s effectively enabling the president’s agenda. Newsom’s January budget message tosses aside new spending proposals —...
Poll gauges support for San Jose mayor running for governor
Amid reports that San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is considering a run for California governor, someone has launched an exploratory text message poll to gauge public support. The poll — which runs dozens of questions long — describes Mahan as a Democrat with a working-class background and tech credentials, according to screenshots obtained by San...
Silicon Valley lawmaker could seek East Bay congressional seat
A state lawmaker representing parts of Santa Clara and Alameda counties might be angling for a congressional seat in the East Bay. Her candidacy would leave her own seat in the California Legislature up for grabs — if she decides to jump into the race. A new federal candidate filing suggests 10th District state Sen....
San Jose mayor opposes billionaire tax idea
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has come out against a controversial proposal to create a “billionaire tax” in California. Backers see it as a means of filling a massive deficit facing the state’s health care system. In a nearly 300-word thread posted to X Monday, Mahan warned if passed by voters, the pending statewide ballot measure...
San Jose lawmaker eyes state attorney general run
State Sen. Dave Cortese plans to run for California Attorney General if Rob Bonta decides to enter the governor’s race. It could boost the odds of the next top state prosecutor coming from Santa Clara County. Cortese represents District 15, which covers portions of San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin. He previously served...
New laws affecting Silicon Valley in 2026
California lawmakers approved dozens of new laws in 2025 addressing housing development, wildfire prevention, labor protections and more. Several of the measures, authored by Silicon Valley legislators, will take effect in 2026 and shape daily life across Santa Clara County and the state. Environment Plastic grocery bag ban Senate Bill 1053 closes a loophole in...
State recognizes San Jose’s Japantown as a cultural district
For community leaders in San Jose’s Japantown, receiving statewide recognition as a cultural district affirms what they already know about the historic neighborhood. After a competitive process of more than 70 applicants, Japantown is one of 10 neighborhoods chosen last week to be a state-designated cultural district. This recognition provides the district with a $10,000...