Overview
- Reports on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, show a principal pro‑Mahan committee filed to dissolve and California Back to Basics returned a $1 million gift from Reed Hastings, moves journalists interpreted as donor retreat.
- A complaint alleging illegal coordination between Mahan’s campaign and an outside committee was filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission, raising fresh ethics scrutiny days before the June 2 primary.
- Mahan’s campaign has about $15 million in direct donations but lacked the roughly $46 million in independent spending strategists said was needed to build statewide name recognition, leaving the effort underfunded.
- The campaign has faced internal strain since April, including the departure of top strategist Eric Jaye and a failed last‑ditch fundraising push, and recent polls show Mahan slipping to the lower tier of contenders.
- Mahan says he will continue serving as San Jose mayor through at least the end of the year, a development that leaves local governance responsibilities steady while the campaign’s donor retreat could reshape how Silicon Valley backers approach future statewide races.