CA-GOV: Donors give over $3 million to boost tech-friendly California governor candidate (D)
Business executives poured $3.3 million into a committee boosting Matt Mahan’s bid for California governor as the San Jose mayor rushes to make up ground and Silicon Valley interests look to install an ally in Sacramento.
The effort — headlined by $1 million each from Y Combinator executive Michael Seibel and Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill and his spouse Ashley Merrill with another $500,000 from tech investor Neil Mehta — could be crucial for Mahan if it continues to grow. The tech-friendly mayor’s entrance to the race last week enthralled Silicon Valley players, but he is still relatively unknown outside of San Jose and has less than four months to break through in a crowded June 2 primary.
Still, $3.3 million will not go far in a state as large and vast as California, where multiple media markets make it enormously expensive to run statewide campaigns.
The newly formed PAC is the latest example of business and tech titans seizing an opportunity to shape California politics. The wide-open governor’s race is arguably the most important piece of the industry’s multi-pronged effort.
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/05/mahan-tech-donors-white-00767433