San Jose mayor appears to have reelection cakewalk

With a moderate stance on housing and homelessness, Mayor Matt Mahan likely will sail into reelection as he faces no serious competitors vying for his seat in the March primary, more than a year after winning San Jose's top elected post in a surprise upset against labor forces.

Despite the lack of challengers, Mahan has raised a nest egg since August of $763,709, according to the latest campaign filings and figures he provided in an interview Thursday. It's money he intends to spend on market research, such as phone banking and supporting other like-minded councilmembers, efforts that could pay off during his 2028 race when competition may be stiffer — or if he pursues higher office. But in the immediate term, he plans to stay in the South Bay.

“I would like to be mayor for 10 years,” he said. “I love this city. I love the job. I think we're making a difference. But it's very hard to know where things are going to be. And I have always said that I do not want to be in the job just for the title or whatever else it might be. I'm here to have an impact.”

Though Mahan can spend the money propping himself up along with potential allies on the council, San Jose prohibits candidates from carrying funds over to their next election.

He must either spend it all, donate it to a nonprofit or hand it over to the city's general fund, a choice he didn't specify in Thursday's interview. Campaign filings show Mahan has about $400,000 of cash on hand, according to a Jan. 25 report. Larry Gerston, San Jose State University political science professor emeritus, said raising funds at this point in Mahan's political tenure can be strategic for the years to come.

“If you're thinking longterm about where you may go, getting whatever knowledge you can get, making whatever friendships you can make, getting any alliances you can get, those tend to be good investments,” he said. Over a year into his mayorship, Mahan has taken a more moderate stance to govern on lightning-rod issues such as housing and homelessness, where he has championed the city's first encampment ban along a portion of San Jose's waterways. His legacy, in part, will likely hinge on a key goal the city has laid out by the end of June by creating an additional 500 units of interim housing that include tinyhome-style shelters, safe parking and hotel rooms.

A 2022 ballot measure passed by voters has offered Mahan the opportunity to spend an unusually long amount of time as mayor. Measure A aligned mayor's races with presidential ones — and gave the winner of the 2022 election the ability to serve a half-term until 2024 — and then serve two full four-year terms.

Since his victory over a year ago against Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, the city's labor bloc decided not to put forth a challenger for this primary, even though Mahan has few pro-business allies on the council.

The shortage of friendly councilmembers forced Mahan last summer to make a compromise on how to spend homelessness funds.