For Immediate Release
San Jose, CA – Business leader and San Jose City Councilmember Matt Mahan announced today that he is running to become San Jose’s next Mayor to bring about a revolution of common sense and make sure our government is working as hard as we do.
Mahan is a longtime San Jose resident and a new member of San Jose’s city council who comes from the business world, where he founded and grew companies dedicated to empowering voters and holding government accountable. Deeply involved in the community, Matt has also served on a number of neighborhood and civic boards in and around San Jose.
In 2020, he ran a successful campaign for city council in District 10, and for the past year has represented over 100,000 constituents in the Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley, and Vista Park neighborhoods. Matt Mahan first ran for office pledging to give our city government “a wakeup call.” As soon as he started working at City Hall, Matt saw just how bad the problem really is.
“All too often, government works for government — with little accountability, built in inefficiencies and almost no incentive to do better. My campaign is about requiring accountability, efficiency and innovation. It is about demanding a revolution of common sense because we all deserve better,” Mahan said.
Matt’s revolution of common sense in government starts with four key policy principles:
- We believe government should focus first on the basics, such as cleaning up our city, paving our roads, and keeping our neighborhoods safe.
- We believe that homeless residents should have access to basic and safe shelter, but that they have a responsibility to use it when provided. Those suffering from severe mental illness and addiction belong in treatment centers, not in our streets and parks.
- We believe we need to continue improving policing practices, not defund the police.
- We believe new housing should go near transit downtown and in urban villages, not wherever developers want. That way we can have affordable housing without transit gridlock, displacement and environmental damage
Mahan knows that San Jose families are working harder than ever – yet so many are struggling to pay bills as the cost of just about everything keeps going up and up. In order to make life better for San Joseans, Mahan will make sure our city government is working just as hard as we are.
Matt Mahan graduated from Harvard University, and taught middle school students in San Jose before entering the business world and founding his own start-up.
