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...
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...
San Jose mayor names new chief of staff
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has tapped longtime city employee Sarah Zarate to become his new chief of staff. The role recently became vacant after Jim Reed, who held the post for more than a decade under two mayors, announced his departure to lead a statewide policy initiative on behalf of Mahan. Zarate, who has...
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...
2026 marks another busy election year for San Jose
With five of San Jose’s 11 City Council seats up for grabs in 2026, the city is gearing up for another busy election year. As the looming contests begin to come into focus, San José Spotlight has asked several local political observers to discuss the races and election storylines they’ll be following most closely. They...
2025 in review: Silicon Valley’s biggest stories
It was a transformational year for Silicon Valley. A county assessor’s 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike. But for each chapter that was closed this...
Longtime San Jose mayoral chief of staff leaves for new role
In a San Jose City Hall shakeup, longtime mayoral chief of staff Jim Reed announced Thursday he is leaving to lead a statewide policy initiative launched by Mayor Matt Mahan earlier this year. Reed has been a central figure in City Hall politics for more than a decade, having served as chief of staff for...
County assessor candidate earns support of San Jose mayor
As the race to become Santa Clara County assessor enters its last lap, leaders of Northern California’s largest city are all in on candidate Neysa Fligor. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council have endorsed Fligor in the race to succeed former longtime Assessor Larry Stone, who resigned in July and kicked off...
San Jose mayor looking for ‘change agent’ governor
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan hosted several gubernatorial candidates at a tiny home site Friday, in the hopes of showcasing the city’s approach to slash homelessness through building temporary housing — and to get their buy in. During a tour of the city’s newest tiny home village at Cherry Avenue, Mahan said he’s looking for...