Matt Mahan’s campaign for California governor is facing internal turmoil as weak polling just two months before the primary election has led to the San Jose mayor parting ways with his top political consultant.
Eric Jaye told Politico the split occurred due to a “difference of opinion about strategy,” declining to elaborate.
The departure of Mahan’s top consultant comes at a critical time, as he holds the backing of major players in big tech — like Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale — but he’s still polling in the low single digits a month before ballots are mailed.
Frustrations reportedly boiled over during a call with supporters last week, and Jaye admitted the campaign was not raising enough money while suggesting there was still time.
A person on the call told Politico: “It’s a kind of a now or never moment for this campaign.”
Jaye, who did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, has played a critical role in shaping Mahan’s campaign and crafting the candidate’s image as a moderate Democrat focused on functional governance.
Democratic strategist Elizabeth Ashford told The Post that Mahan’s campaign shakeup reflects the high stakes facing candidates whose message fails to break through.
“The whole name of the game is to be nimble, and if something isn’t working, it only makes sense to try to switch things up,” Ashford said. “I don’t know if this is more about Eric or more about Matt, but campaigns rise and fall on the strength of the candidate.”
Mahan has drawn a line between himself and a crowded field of Democratic candidates — as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom — by focusing on a “back to basics” agenda to address homelessness, housing, and public safety rather than wading into national political fights with President Trump.
The top tier of the Democratic side of the race is dominated by Rep. Eric Swalwell, progressive billionaire Tom Steyer, and former congresswoman Katie Porter. All have been polling around 10%.
Meanwhile, Mahan has been jostling for support with former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, ex-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and former controller Betty Yee.
The sheer number of Democratic candidates has fractured the vote, creating panic among leaders of the Democratic Party that two Republicans — former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — could emerge as the top two finalists to move on to November’s runoff election. A Republican has not served as California’s governor since 2011, when Arnold Schwarzenegger left office.
Jon Fleischman, a conservative political commentator, told The Post that Mahan has not done enough to distinguish himself.
“His campaign relies on phrases such as back to basics, common sense, and making government work,” Fleischman said. “Those ideas sound appealing, but they are also broad enough that almost any candidate could use them. They do not define a lane or create contrast.”
He added, “Moderate and pragmatic Democrats exist, but they are not a cohesive, high-turnout bloc.”
Mahan was the last major candidate to join the race in January, and his campaign stormed out of the gate by raising $7 million in seven days.
But that money, as well as a Super Bowl ad bought by a committee supporting Mahan’s campaign, has not led to him making a dent in the polls.
“It’s really, really hard to get name recognition in this state, and we are seeing a lot of people struggling to get the name recognition you need to win a statewide campaign,” Ashford said.
“He’s speaking a language that is obviously attractive to that crowd — the Silicon Valley, Bay Area bubble — but it’s not going to resonate as much in Fresno County.”
Mahan issued a statement praising Jaye’s contributions to the campaign, telling Politico he will remain “a trusted advisor.”
“With 62 days till June,” Mahan said, “the team is moving full steam ahead: meeting with Californians across the state to make sure they know — there’s a choice besides more MAGA or more of the same failed policies that are making our state unaffordable for far too many working families.”
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