2026-05-03 08:00 AM ET / CNN
作者：帕特里克·斯维特克
4小时前
发布于2026年5月3日上午8:00 ET
科技新闻 美国选举 州长选举 州与地方选举
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戴维·克兰/媒体新闻集团/洛杉矶每日新闻/盖蒂图片社
这场美国最大蓝州的州长竞选，核心议题一直是选民对加州生活质量的担忧，以及萨克拉门托政坛的特殊利益集团影响力。
眼下看来，加州下任州长似乎不太可能出自硅谷。但马特·马汉和一大批科技行业支持者却不这么认为。
马汉是加州第三大城市圣何塞的市长，他将自己定位为唯一一位敢于挑战本党、直面唐纳德·特朗普时代重大问题的民主党人，正在这场选举中打一场硬仗。他常说，加州人“不需要‘让美国再次伟大’式的极端保守主义，但我们也不需要一成不变的老一套”。
“他是一位坚定的民主党人，清楚表明了自己的价值观，”新加州联盟联合创始人兼首席执行官特雷西·埃尔南德斯说道，该组织由商界和 civic 领袖组成。但埃尔南德斯补充道：“我认为加州人正在摆脱‘不惜一切代价搞党派对立’的思维模式，迫切需要解决方案。”
马汉于1月下旬宣布参选，其竞选活动因以下几点引发关注：他刻意与其他民主党人划清界限的做法、从科技创业者转型从政的背景，而最引人注目的或许是其竞选阵营背后的资金规模。截至目前，他的竞选团队已筹款1400万美元，仅次于自掏腰包竞选的亿万富翁汤姆·斯泰尔——后者仅广告支出就已超过1.37亿美元。
尽管支持者热情高涨，但近期民调显示马汉的支持率仍个位数徘徊，被斯泰尔和其他知名度更高、风格更传统的民主党候选人盖过风头。周二将举行由CNN主办的州长辩论，马汉只能站在舞台边缘，这也印证了他当前的处境。
“我正在向加州选民介绍自己，我认为人们才刚刚开始关注这场竞选，”马汉上周在接受CNN采访时表示，“未来几周，我们还有很多工作要做，让更多人了解我。”
杰·C·洪/美联社
马汉大力强调自己担任圣何塞市长三年多的执政经历，期间他曾在无家可归者安置、住房和公共安全问题上与同党议员产生分歧。他的立场有时也与州长加文·纽瑟姆相悖——后者是潜在的2028年总统候选人，因任期限制无法连任。
在6月举行的非党派初选中，将选出两名候选人进入11月的最终投票。马汉面临着来自科技行业的支持和党内非主流立场的双重压力，需要在其间找到平衡。
斯泰尔曾表示，马汉的竞选资金来自“那些靠贩卖用户数据牟利、打压竞争、攻击工会，并向监控和国防承包商砸钱的人”。
但在马汉的支持者看来，这场竞选是一次值得尝试的实验，其影响将波及全国。
“我认为，除非一个大型蓝州能够实现良好治理，否则白宫不会出现民主党人，而目前没有任何一个大型蓝州治理得当，”曾担任共和党前州长阿诺德·施瓦辛格特别顾问的戴维·克兰说道，他同时也是支持马汉的“治理加州”组织主席，该组织致力于打击加州政坛的特殊利益集团。
从哈佛走进科技行业
马汉的父亲是教师，母亲是邮递员，他在加州中部海岸的农业枢纽沃森维尔长大，靠低收入学生奖学金前往北加州圣何塞就读大学预科学校。之后他考入哈佛大学，并在校园积极投身政治，曾担任学生会主席。
在哈佛期间，他结识了马克·扎克伯格，后者建议他不要读法学院，而是投身科技行业“改变世界”。
马汉听从了扎克伯格的建议。2008年，他加入早期Facebook应用之一的Causes，用户可通过该平台推广喜爱的非营利组织。短短几年内，他就成为该公司首席执行官，并于2014年联合创立了 Brigade——一个无党派的公民参与在线平台。
2020年，马汉当选圣何塞市议员，2022年在一场激烈竞选中击败圣克拉拉县议员辛迪·查韦斯，当选市长。查韦斯在地方政坛资历更深，获得了更多市议员同事的支持。
与本党议员及纽瑟姆唱反调
在圣何塞，马汉与同党议员产生分歧的议题包括：推动为无家可归者建造包括迷你住宅在内的临时住房，以及提议组建警方专项小组，对18个月内三次拒绝收容提议的 trespassing 者实施逮捕。
批评者认为，临时住房并非长期解决方案，而逮捕政策过于严苛。马汉则坚称，他正以应对这一问题所需的紧迫感采取行动。
在公共安全议题上，马汉于2024年与本党多数领导层决裂，支持第36号提案——该 ballot measure 将部分毒品和盗窃行为从重罪降为轻罪。尽管加州民主党和纽瑟姆强烈反对，该提案仍以压倒性优势获得选民通过。马汉还批评纽瑟姆拒绝为该法律提供资金支持。
此外，马汉还在社交媒体策略上与纽瑟姆产生冲突。他去年发表专栏文章，批评纽瑟姆团队在州长办公室官方账号上模仿并嘲讽特朗普的语气，指责其“贬低与自己意见相左的人”。
里奇·佩德罗内尔/美联社
CNN此前曾报道，纽瑟姆与马汉的私人关系紧张。今年早些时候在旧金山的彭博活动中，纽瑟姆被问及是否会回应马汉的州长竞选时表示：“我对他了解不多，祝他好运。”
当被问及两人过往的分歧时，纽瑟姆的办公室表示对这篇报道没有补充评论。
在其任期内，马汉还与有组织劳工团体和当地民主党活动人士产生摩擦，并与当地民主党保持距离。
“他试图在民主党阵营之外运作，同时又不将自己标榜为共和党人，这在加州竞选全州公职是致命的，”圣克拉拉县民主党主席比尔·詹姆斯说道。
科技界的支持
一些硅谷重量级人物越来越多地参与州级政治，试图遏制他们眼中民主党领导层的自由主义过激行为。今年他们还组织起来反对一项针对加州亿万富翁的5%一次性税提案——马汉与纽瑟姆一样反对该提案，认为这会将企业家赶出加州。
马汉已从帕兰提尔联合创始人乔·朗斯代尔、谷歌联合创始人谢尔盖·布林和网飞联合创始人里德·黑斯廷斯那里获得了最高额39200美元的捐款。支持马汉的独立开支委员会“加州回归正轨”的最大捐赠者包括风险投资家迈克尔·莫里茨（捐款300万美元）和前Y Combinator创业加速器首席执行官迈克尔·塞贝尔（捐款100万美元）。
在最近的一场辩论中，主持人就马汉能否被信任监管人工智能这一问题向他施压，理由是他接受了上述科技巨头的捐款。马汉表示，作为一名积极推动将人工智能融入地方政府的市长，他理解人工智能的利弊。
“我不害怕监管大型科技公司或其他任何行业，”他说道。
帕特里克·T·法伦/法新社/盖蒂图片社
在接受CNN采访时，他表示自己与部分支持他的科技行业人士在不少问题上存在分歧。他支持在K-12学校禁用手机，要求16岁以下儿童使用社交媒体需获得父母同意，并希望数据中心建设者全额承担能源成本。
“我不想用一个特殊利益集团取代另一个，”他说，“我竞选的目标是打破萨克拉门托当前存在的整个腐败反馈循环。”
周二，斯泰尔的竞选团队宣布获得“人工智能安全保障项目”的背书，该组织去年曾支持加州具有里程碑意义的人工智能安全法案，并暗讽竞争对手“由大型科技公司资助”。
已背书马汉的美国众议员阿米·贝拉表示，科技高管和其他商界领袖支持马汉“并非坏事”，因为他们是加州庞大经济体的驱动力。
“很多人和我看法一致，我们不能再按部就班，”代表萨克拉门托地区选区的贝拉说道，“我认为这正是吸引众多科技人士的原因。显然他们大多聚集在硅谷和圣何塞，近距离见证了马汉的执政记录，所以我认为这就是他们纷纷支持他的原因，而非其他不正当目的。”
竞选形势
马汉的支持者认为，他面临的最大挑战是知名度不足，尤其是在竞选阵营中有自掏腰包的斯泰尔、前国会众议员兼参议院候选人凯蒂·波特，以及前内阁部长兼州检察长哈维尔·贝塞拉的情况下。“加州回归正轨”委员会目前已花费近2000万美元，用于在圣何塞以外的地区向加州选民介绍马汉。
“我们100%专注于让更多加州人了解马特，因为只要加州人了解他，他就能获胜，”曾为施瓦辛格担任顾问、如今支持马汉的克兰说道。
4月，这场竞选出现两大变动：前美国众议员埃里克·斯沃维尔因性行为不端指控退出竞选（他否认指控）；特朗普背书保守派评论员史蒂夫·希尔顿。此后，剩余候选人纷纷争抢新的支持机会。此前支持斯沃维尔的贝拉转而背书马汉。
4月23日至27日进行的CBS新闻/舆观民调显示，如果当天举行选举，仅有4%的选民表示会投票给马汉。而支持率最高的民主党候选人斯泰尔仅获得15%的支持，约四分之一的选民尚未做出决定。
马汉的支持者坚称，他仍有胜算。
“他是无所畏惧的黑马，”新加州联盟联合创始人兼首席执行官埃尔南德斯说道，“我不会排除他的可能。”
Backed by tech money, a moderate Democrat from Silicon Valley mounts a bid for California governor
2026-05-03 08:00 AM ET / CNN
By Patrick Svitek
4 hr ago
PUBLISHED May 3, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
Tech news US elections Gubernatorial elections State & local races
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Matt Mahan, San Jose mayor and Democratic contender for California governor, talks with a resident on Skid Row in Los Angeles on February 13, 2026.
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images
The race to lead the country’s biggest blue state has been defined by voter concerns about their quality of life in California and the influence of special interests in Sacramento.
It might not seem like the right moment for California’s next governor to come from Silicon Valley. Matt Mahan and a large group of Big Tech backers think it is.
Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, the state’s third-largest city, is waging an uphill battle as the lone Democrat — in his telling — willing to challenge his own party and how it tackles big problems in the era of Donald Trump. He often says Californians “don’t need MAGA, but we also don’t need more of the same.”
“He’s a strong Democrat. He makes it clear what his values are,” said Tracy Hernandez, co-founder and CEO of the New California Coalition, a group of business and civic leaders. But, Hernandez said, “I think that Californians are moving off of that hyperpartisan-at-all-costs (mindset) and demanding solutions.”
After entering the race in late January, Mahan has drawn attention for his efforts to distinguish himself from other Democrats, for his background as tech entrepreneur-turned-politician and, perhaps most notably, for the amount of money behind his candidacy. His campaign has raised $14 million, more than any other candidate besides billionaire self-funder Tom Steyer, whose campaign has spent more than $137 million on advertising.
Despite his supporters’ enthusiasm, Mahan has remained mired in the single digits in recent polls, overshadowed by Steyer and other better-known and more conventional Democrats. His low numbers will be reflected by his position on the edge of the stage at Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate hosted by CNN.
“I’m in the process of introducing myself to Californians, and I think that people are just starting to tune in,” Mahan told CNN in an interview last week. “We have a lot of people to get to know over the next few weeks.”
Matt Mahan speaks with reporters following a California gubernatorial debate in Claremont on April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Jae C. Hong/AP
Mahan is leaning heavily on his three-plus years as mayor of San Jose, where he has clashed with fellow Democrats on homelessness, housing and public safety. His positions have also sometimes put him at odds with Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate who cannot seek reelection due to term limits.
Between the support from the tech industry and his unorthodox standing inside his party, Mahan has a lot to balance ahead of the nonpartisan June 2 primary to pick the top two candidates for the November ballot.
Steyer has said Mahan is funded by the same people “who profit off your data, crush competition, attack unions, and pour money into surveillance and defense contractors.”
But for Mahan’s backers, it is a worthwhile experiment — with national implications.
“I do not believe we will have a Democrat in the White House until there’s a big blue state that is governed well, and right now there’s no big blue state that is governed well,” said David Crane, president of Govern for California, a pro-Mahan group that works to counter special interests in California politics, and who served as a special adviser to former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
From Harvard into tech
The son of a teacher and letter carrier, Mahan grew up in Watsonville, an agricultural hub along California’s Central Coast, and would travel north to San Jose to attend a college prep school on a scholarship for low-income students. He then attended Harvard University and dove into politics there, serving as student body president.
While at Harvard, he met Mark Zuckerberg, who he says counseled him to skip law school and go into tech to “change the world.”
Mahan followed Zuckerberg’s advice. In 2008, he joined Causes, one of the earliest Facebook apps, which allowed users to promote their favorite nonprofits. Within a few years, he was its CEO, and in 2014, he co-founded Brigade, a nonpartisan online platform for civic engagement.
He won a seat on the San Jose City Council in 2020 and ascended to the mayor’s office two years later after a tight race against Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who had a longer record in local politics and more support among his council colleagues.
Going against his local Democrats and Newsom
In San Jose, Mahan has gone against fellow Democrats by pushing to build temporary housing, including tiny homes, for the city’s homeless residents and by proposing a police unit to arrest people for trespassing if they reject three offers of shelter within 18 months.
His critics say interim housing is not a long-term solution and that the arrest policy is too punitive. Mahan maintains he is acting with the urgency the issue requires.
On public safety, he split with most of his party’s leadership in 2024 by backing Proposition 36, a ballot measure to make some drug and theft crimes felonies instead of misdemeanors. Voters overwhelmingly approved it over the opposition of the California Democratic Party and Newsom, whom Mahan has criticized for refusing to fund the law.
Mahan has also clashed with Newsom on the governor’s social media tactics, penning a column last year that criticized Newsom’s team adopting a tone mimicking and mocking Trump on his governor’s press office accounts. Mahan ripped Newsom’s team for “belittling those who disagree with them.”
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, right, discusses a proposal from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, in Sacramento on March 16, 2023.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
CNN has previously reported that Newsom and Mahan have a contentious personal relationship. Newsom declined to address Mahan’s gubernatorial bid during a Bloomberg event earlier this year in San Francisco, saying: “I don’t know enough about him, I wish him good luck.”
Asked for comment about their history of differences, Newsom’s office said it had nothing to add for this story.
Throughout his tenure, Mahan has also had tensions with organized labor and local Democratic activists, and he has kept his distance from the local party.
“He’s sort of like trying to operate outside of the Democratic Party while also not labeling himself as a Republican, which is fatal … for a statewide office in California,” said Bill James, the Democratic chairman of Santa Clara County.
Tech support
Some of Silicon Valley’s heavyweights have become increasingly involved in state politics in an effort to rein in what they see as liberal excesses of the state’s Democratic leaders. They are also organizing this year against a proposed one-time 5% tax on the state’s billionaires that Mahan — like Newsom — opposes, arguing it would drive entrepreneurs out of the state.
Mahan has raised the maximum $39,200 donations from Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings. Some of the biggest donors to an independent expenditure committee supporting Mahan, California Back to Basics, include venture capitalist Michael Moritz, who has given $3 million, and former Y Combinator Startup Accelerator CEO Michael Seibel, who has contributed $1 million.
During a recent debate, moderators pressed Mahan on whether he could be trusted to regulate artificial intelligence given those kinds of donations. Mahan said he understood both the benefits and risks of AI as a mayor who has moved aggressively to integrate it into local government.
“I am not afraid to regulate Big Tech or any other industry,” he said.
Mahan walks across Alvarado Street following a campaign event outside Langer’s Deli in neighborhood of Los Angeles on April 24, 2026.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
In an interview with CNN, he said there were “quite a few areas” where he would split with some in the tech industry who may be supporting him. He supports banning cellphones in K-12 schools, requiring parental consent for children under 16 to use social media, and wants data-center builders to fully cover energy costs.
“I’m not interested in trading one special interest for another,” he said. “I’m running against the whole corrupt feedback loop that we have in Sacramento right now.”
On Tuesday, Steyer’s campaign announced the endorsement of the Secure AI Project, a group that backed California’s landmark AI safety law last year, and took a swipe at rivals who “are being bankrolled by Big Tech.”
US Rep. Ami Bera, who endorsed Mahan, said it was “not a bad thing” that tech executives and other business leaders were lining up behind Mahan, because they drive the state’s massive economy.
“A lot of folks are looking at this the same way I am, which is that we can’t just do business as usual,” said Bera, who represents a Sacramento-area district. “I think that’s what’s attracting a lot of the tech folks. Obviously they’re centered around Silicon Valley and San Jose, and they’ve seen his track record up close, so I think that’s why they’re flocking to him, not for any other nefarious reason.”
The state of play
Mahan’s biggest challenge, according to his supporters, is that he is simply not well-known enough, especially in a field with a self-funder, Steyer; a former congresswoman and Senate candidate, Katie Porter; and a former Cabinet secretary and state attorney general, Xavier Becerra. Back to Basics has now spent nearly $20 million focused on introducing him to California voters outside San Jose.
“We are 100% focused on getting more Californians to know Matt, because if Californians get to know him, he wins,” said Crane, the ex-Schwarzenegger adviser now backing Mahan.
April saw two major shakeups in the broader race: Former US Rep. Eric Swalwell’s exit after allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denies; and Trump’s endorsement of conservative commentator Steve Hilton. The remaining candidates have been scrambling to find new opportunities for support since then. Bera, who had supported Swalwell, flipped to Mahan.
A CBS News/YouGov poll, conducted April 23-27, found just 4% of voters said they would vote for Mahan if the election were held that day, though the highest-polling Democratic candidate — Steyer — only had 15% support, and about a quarter of voters were undecided.
Mahan’s supporters maintain he is still in the hunt.
“He is a fearless underdog,” said Hernandez, co-founder and CEO of the New California Coalition. “I’m not counting him out.”
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