Outside group spends $4.8 million on TV ads backing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for governor

An autarkic expenditure committee backed by Silicon Valley executives spent $4.8 cardinal connected tv ads supporting San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s gubernatorial bid that volition statesman airing Thursday.

The 2 30-second ads item the Democrat’s beingness communicative — being raised successful a working-class household and moving connected a grounds unit and arsenic a mediate schoolhouse teacher — and his accomplishments starring the state’s third-largest city.

Mahan’s parents “taught him the quality betwixt bully to person and request to have,” a narrator says successful 1 of the ads. “So arsenic politician of San Jose, Matt focused connected the basics and delivered results connected the things that substance most. The safest large metropolis successful America, a crisp driblet successful thoroughfare homelessness and thousands of homes built. As governor, Matt Mahan volition absorption connected results Californians request to have, similar affordable homes, harmless neighborhoods and bully schools.”

The ads, which volition aerial statewide connected broadcast and cablegram TV, were paid for by an independent-expenditure committee called California Back to Basics Supporting Matt Mahan for Governor 2026.

The radical has not yet filed immoderate fundraising reports with the caput of state’s office, but the ads’ disclosure says the apical donors are billionaire task capitalist Michael Moritz, luxury sleepwear institution laminitis Ashley Merrill and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Michael Seibel.

Billionaire Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, who considered moving for politician oregon politician of Los Angeles but yet decided against seeking either post, is progressive successful the effort, according to a strategist moving for the committee who requested anonymity to talk astir it.

The committee legally cannot coordinate with Mahan’s campaign, which helium launched 4 weeks ago. Although Mahan lacks the sanction designation of respective different candidates successful the crowded tract moving to regenerate termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom, his fundraising prowess, notably among tech manufacture leaders, is notable. He has raised astir $9.2 cardinal successful ample donations since entering the gubernatorial race.