Govern For California

I first tried to recruit Matt Mahan into politics more than a decade ago. He’s an exceptional man with a rare temperament for governing — mild-mannered, pragmatic, and too honorable to make promises he can’t keep. So when he announced his run for governor earlier this year, I jumped at the chance to help. But I faced an immediate problem: how do you introduce an unknown candidate to a state as large and loud as California?

In their bids for governor, Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, and Steve Hilton attributed California’s systemic issues to Donald Trump, corporations, and the Democratic party, respectively. That rhetoric might appeal to some voters but not to the facts. Becerra’s claims are undermined by the fact that California has significantly lagged behind other states during the Trump (and, for that matter, Biden) presidencies.

In the June 2 election, my efforts were centered on backing two exceptional individuals for Governor and Insurance Commissioner and opposing SEIU’s Proposition D tax increase in San Francisco.