Pro-Mahan PAC shuts down, another fund returns Netflix CEO’s donation
An independent expenditure supporting San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for governor shut down Thursday and another pro-Mahan PAC returned a $1 million single donation. Both are signs the mayor’s support has stagnated ahead of the June 2 primary.
The Deliver For Mahan IE filed papers to shut down Thursday and the Back To Basics IE returned Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’s $1 million donation on Wednesday, according to campaign finance records. The Mercury News first reported both the IE closure and the return of Hastings’s money.
Independent expenditures and campaigns cannot coordinate, under campaign finance law. Deliver For Mahan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mahan, a former tech executive, entered the governor’s race in January with little name recognition but a swell of support from Silicon Valley moguls. He claimed that his pro-public safety message and willingness to spar with progressives and organized labor would resonate with disillusioned Democrats and moderates.
The latest poll released by the California Democratic Party showed Mahan’s support had slipped from 7% to 4% among likely Democratic voters in polling conducted earlier this month.
Last month, The New York Times reported that major Mahan donors, led by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger adviser David Crane, began soliciting $35 million in donations for Back To Basics. Proponents promised that if they fell short, the donations would be returned.
The committee has raised $28 million since January, according to the latest filings. Crane did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nor did Hastings who, according to campaign filings, has recouped the $1 million he donated last Friday.
Last month, Mission Local reported the Fair Political Practices Commission had received a complaint that the Back To Basics IE was illegally coordinating with Mahan’s campaign.
This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 6:38 PM.
