By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
Editor’s Note:
This California Black Media Q&A series with California’s gubernatorial candidates is intended to inform voters about where the candidates for governor stand on key issues. The opinions, assertions, and claims expressed are those of the candidates and have not been independently verified; they may or may not be supported by publicly available data.
His answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Matt Mahan, the current mayor of San Jose, is a candidate in California’s 2026 race for governor.
Raised in the agricultural town of Watsonville on the Central Coast, Mahan says working-class upbringing shaped his views on opportunity and public service. Before entering elected office, he worked in the technology sector and in education, including teaching through Teach For America in East San José.
Now seeking statewide office, Mahan spoke with California Black Media recently about his campaign, which is centered on accountability in government, improving public education outcomes, and expanding economic opportunity for working families across California.
What inspired you to run for governor of California?
One night in early January, I came home late from a meeting of our public transit agency and when my wife, Sylvia, looked at me and said, “I think you need to jump into this race.” It was something we had been talking about, and we didn’t take the decision lightly—we have young kids.
We’ve both been watching what’s happening in politics nationally and here in California. At the national level, I’m concerned about what I see as an authoritarian impulse coming from the White House. At the state level, we keep asking residents to pay more, but outcomes in areas like housing, homelessness, and education haven’t improved enough.
If elected, what would be the first major policy initiative you would pursue and why?
The first step would be setting clear priorities and public goals so residents can hold the state accountable. When I became mayor, I said we couldn’t fix every problem at once. We identified five focus areas, published measurable goals, and committed to transparency so residents could track our progress.
I love California. I grew up in a working-class community. My mom was a teacher, and my dad was a letter carrier, and we lived paycheck to paycheck. But because of good schools, mentors, and my parents’ support, I had opportunities that changed my life.
Today those opportunities aren’t as widely available. I taught in San José in a lower-income community of color, and it’s clear that California isn’t delivering the opportunity many residents deserve. When government isn’t working, it’s working people who pay the price.
As governor, I would set clear goals for literacy—closing racial gaps and getting all students reading at grade level—because reading proficiency opens doors to opportunity.
Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing California. You’ve proposed speeding up development, including faster permits. How would that lower housing costs for residents?
Housing here is expensive largely because we make it incredibly difficult and costly to build. I’m proposing 30-day permit requirements for local governments, caps on certain impact fees, simplifying the building code, and embracing innovations like factory-built housing.
To put it plainly, you can build the exact same home in Colorado for about half the cost of building it in California. That difference translates directly into higher housing prices here.
Our approval process can drag on for years and involve lawsuits. Impact fees can add 10% to 20% to construction costs, and California’s building code is more complex than that of any other state. All of that adds cost and slows construction.
If we reduce unnecessary barriers and lower construction costs, we can make housing more attainable.
You’ve spoken about disparities in education and housing that affect minority communities. What is your message to African American and other minority voters?
I’ve been involved in education reform for more than 20 years and saw firsthand the disparities in our public school system.
I’m willing to challenge the establishment, including special interests, because we know what works. Evidence-based instruction like phonics improves literacy. Tracking student progress and providing targeted tutoring when students fall behind works. Evaluating classroom performance and rewarding strong teachers while supporting those who need training also works.
I believe we’re all interconnected. When large numbers of children are denied opportunity, it hurts the entire state. I’d rather invest resources upfront to prepare young people for success than pay the costs later in homelessness, crime, and incarceration.
California’s Stop the Hate program has helped track and respond to hate crimes but is scheduled to end in 2026. If elected, would you continue or expand efforts to address hate and discrimination?
I was just speaking with another outlet about an alleged hate crime in our community. Ensuring people feel safe, included, and protected by our institutions is fundamental.
When people experience discrimination or become victims of hate crimes, it undermines our ability to make anything else work—our schools, workplaces, and health care systems. Hate crimes are especially harmful because they target people based on identity and send a message of exclusion to entire communities.
We’ve seen rising incidents of hate crimes, and that’s deeply concerning. I would invest in strengthening the capacity to identify, report, and address those crimes while ensuring accountability.
We have a special category for hate crimes because they are uniquely corrosive to society. History shows what can happen when discrimination and hate are ignored—from slavery and Jim Crow to the Holocaust. That’s why we have to remain vigilant in defending values of inclusion, respect, and equal protection for everyone.