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California Councilman and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan warned his fellow Democrats in a new debate that the state could see a “MAGA-like” move unless they start delivering better results.
“I’m against the plan because it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, an independent,” Mahan said on the “All-In” podcast Sunday. “We need effective government that delivers lower housing costs, lower energy costs, better schools, safer neighborhoods, an end to street homelessness. We have the resources to do it. What we don’t have is the political will and accountability to do it. And I don’t think that’s the point.”
He added, “And frankly, if the Democratic Party doesn’t start waking up and being more responsive to the needs of our constituencies and delivering with the resources that we have, we’re going to see the pendulum swing all the way, and you’re going to see movements like MAGA happen here in California.”
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Matt Mahan is one of the Democratic candidates running to be the next governor of California. (AP Photo/Laure Andrillon)
Mahan is one of the Democratic Alliance candidates running for Gov. Gavin Newsom in the race for governor this November. However, Mahan has been highly critical of state and city policies under the Democratic leadership, particularly the way they appear to favor special interest groups.
“When a teacher union organizes and says, ‘We don’t want more accountability. We don’t want to be told to use evidence-based curriculum. We don’t want more technology in the classroom,’ regardless of what they might be talking about rationally or at least what they see as the interest of their members,” Mahan said.
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He continued, “It is our elected officials who must stand up and say, ‘Well, for the benefit of the public, we will push you to do that. We will not just give you passports. We will not just block that law or remain silent knowing that with what we are using, we are not getting what we should be.”
Mahan did not criticize Gov. Gavin Newsom even though he called the leadership of the Democratic Alliance. (Gary Miller/FilmMagic)
He stopped short of directly criticizing Newsom, saying he’s trying to “attack problems, not people” and called the governor “a bulwark” against some of the worst legislative ideas.
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“I’m not really interested in, you know, evaluating a person’s intentions or their ideas so much as the results of their actions. And I think he’s done some really good things. I also think he can do even more,” Mahan said.
Newsom’s office declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
Mahan also drew attention last year after he proposed a policy of incarceration against homeless people who often refuse housing services.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed jailing homeless people who refuse services. (KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco)
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“Homelessness is not a choice, especially when more than 200 people die every year on our roads,” Mahan said at the 2025 press conference. “I suggest that after being given a place to stay three times, we hold people accountable for changing their lives, because we all have a responsibility to end this problem.”
