How Matt Mahan Thinks He Can Save California

California's Dysfunction: Mahan attributes the state's problems—including being #1 in poverty and homelessness—to a 75% increase in spending over six years without improved outcomes, a lack of accountability, and paralyzing bureaucracy fueled by special interests and litigation.

San Jose's Success as a Model: As Mayor of San Jose, Mahan claims to have reduced crime, decreased unsheltered homelessness by a third, and unblocked housing production without raising taxes, by focusing on changing processes and cutting inefficient programs.

Regulatory Reform for Housing and Energy: He advocates for addressing the housing crisis as a regulation crisis, proposing to reduce fees, timelines, and complex building codes. For energy costs, he suggests investing in innovation and infrastructure instead of regulating existing sources out of the state, and temporarily suspending the gas tax.

Tackling Entrenched Interests: Mahan asserts that spineless politicians catering to well-resourced, highly organized interests (especially public sector unions and trial lawyers) are the root cause of dysfunction, and he is willing to challenge them to prioritize public outcomes.

Pragmatic Governance: He champions zero-based budgeting, publicly set goals, and measurable outcomes across all state agencies, contrasting this with the current "performative politics" and "safetyism" that add rules without impact.