Campaign strain: Matt Mahan’s gubernatorial run hobbled by staff upheaval, low polling

SAN JOSE MAYOR MATT MAHAN’S LATE ENTRY into the California governor’s race met immediate fanfare in Silicon Valley two months ago. But reports of internal tension, a top strategist’s exit, a curious fundraising scheme and persistent low polling suggest his billionaire-paved road to Sacramento may turn to gravel.

Since his Jan. 29 campaign announcement, Mahan has struggled to break above the single digits — or even get a mention — in various candidate polls. But the first worrying coughs came when POLITICO reported he parted ways with top campaign strategist Eric Jaye, a San Francisco-based consultant who has been in Mahan’s political orbit for years.