Paul Buchheit, creator of Gmail, has donated $1 million to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan's campaign in California's governor's race. This donation is one of the largest yet in the race to replace Gavin Newsom. The money comes at a crucial time for Mahan, who has led the state's third-largest city since 2023 and is seeking to gain name recognition before June's open primary, which results in the general election. Buchheit was one of many tech standouts to donate gifts of $39,200, the maximum amount an individual can give directly to a candidate. Other notable donors include Google co-founder Sergey Brin, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, Palantir co-founded Joe Lonsdale, and Cruise co-found Kyle Vogt.