California gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan said Democrats should focus on economic issues rather than emphasizing opposition to President Donald Trump, after several party speakers criticized Trump during convention remarks.
“We shouldn’t be competing to prove who hates Donald Trump the most. We should be fighting to make life better for middle class and working families,” Mahan said in an interview shared by Capitol reporter Eytan Wallace on social media.
Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, made the comments after Democratic candidates criticized Trump in their convention speeches. He did not address the convention from the main stage because he was not eligible for endorsement under party rules, having entered the race after the deadline, Wallace said.
“We need a governor who will fight for our values, but we also need a governor who will fix our problems,” Mahan said. He cited housing, energy costs and public schools as priorities and said he was “interested in solutions, not slogans.”
“We should not be competing to prove who hates Donald Trump the most. We should be fighting to make life better for middle class and working families.” — California gubernatorial candidate @MattMahanSJ, responding after several Democrats criticized President Donald Trump in their… pic.twitter.com/zdiHzDmSIg
— Eytan Wallace (@EytanWallace) February 23, 2026
Mahan said state leaders had increased spending significantly without delivering comparable improvements. “Over the last six years, we have increased spending with your tax dollars by 75%. I don’t know anything that’s 75% better in the state,” he said. “Before we ask people for more, we need to demand that our government do better.”
He said California should stop funding programs that are not producing results and focus on policies that “actually work in practice.”
Mahan has presented himself as a results-oriented executive in his campaign, pointing to crime reduction, housing development and homelessness efforts in San Jose. His campaign website says he is running to “get California back to basics” and emphasizes cost-of-living issues, public safety and government efficiency.
The comments come as Democrats prepare for a crowded primary contest under California’s top-two system, in which the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party. Recent political analysis has warned that a divided Democratic field could risk allowing two Republicans to advance, though that outcome is considered unlikely.
Mahan is among several candidates seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom when his term ends. Other contenders include U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, billionaire Tom Steyer, and former state officials and local leaders.
