Can Silicon Valley Produce a Governor? Matt Mahan's 2026 California Campaign

Mark Zuckerberg is an American businessman and computer programmer, best known as the co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Meta Platforms, Inc. Born on May 14, 1984, in White Plains, New York, Zuckerberg showed an early interest in programming and technology. He enrolled at Harvard University in 2002, where in February 2004 he launched the social networking site thefacebook.com, initially for Harvard students. The site quickly expanded to other universities and, later, to the general public, becoming one of the world’s most widely used social media platforms. Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook with several Harvard classmates, including Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. He dropped out of Harvard in 2004 to focus on the company, moving its operations to Palo Alto, California. Under his leadership, Facebook grew rapidly, reaching hundreds of millions of users and going public in 2012. The company later acquired major platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp, significantly expanding its global reach and influence. In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced a corporate rebranding, changing Facebook’s parent company name to Meta Platforms to reflect a strategic focus on building the “metaverse,” a vision of interconnected virtual and augmented reality experiences. As Meta’s CEO, he continues to oversee Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and related technologies, including virtual reality products through the Reality Labs division. Zuckerberg has been a central figure in debates over social media, data privacy, and free expression. In recent years, Meta has made changes to its content policies, including scaling back third-party fact-checking programs on Facebook and Instagram in favor of greater emphasis on free expression. As of late 2025, he remains one of the world’s wealthiest individuals and a key player in shaping the future of digital communication and online platforms.

Katie Porter is a prominent American politician and consumer advocate. Born on January 3, 1974, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, she earned a Bachelor's degree from Yale University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Before entering politics, Porter was a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, and served as a consumer protection attorney. She co-authored a book on debt and credit law with Elizabeth Warren, which reflects her deep engagement with financial issues. Porter's political career gained momentum after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In 2018, she flipped California's 45th congressional district from Republican to Democratic control, becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in 75 years. She served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, first representing the 45th district and later the 47th after redistricting. During her tenure, Porter was known for her advocacy on consumer rights, healthcare, and financial regulation. She notably secured free COVID-19 testing for Americans through her oversight work and passed legislation to protect patients from unreasonable pharmaceutical price hikes. In 2023, Porter announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Dianne Feinstein but finished third in the primary. Following this, she returned to teaching at UC Irvine. Recently, Porter has joined the race for California governor in 2026, highlighting her continued involvement in state politics. Her career is marked by her commitment to consumer protection and her ability to challenge powerful financial institutions, making her a prominent figure in California's political landscape.