The San Mateo County Republican Party and Santa Clara County Republican Party have both endorsed entrepreneur and council member Gus Mattammal for state Assembly in District 23. Mattammal’s strong and early start in the campaign prompted the endorsement votes in each committee, prior to the December filing deadline.
Mattammal wants to fix what’s broken in Sacramento and reverse the decline of our state. He says, “I love California. It’s been good to me. It breaks my heart to see it going in such a bad direction.” One of his key themes is that the legislature has made it very hard to get things done. An example he gives is that the voters approved $2.7 billion for additional water storage in 2014. Yet because of problems getting permits, the Sites Reservoir won’t start construction until 2025. “What our district needs is someone who can make things easier and simpler to do. … Send me to Sacramento, and I will be a force for making good work easier to do.” He applies that approach to starting a business and building housing. In videos on his website, he offers solid policy proposals to build housing where it is needed and encourage small business growth.
Gus Mattammal serves on the elected Midcoast Community Council, which represents the north coast of San Mateo County, including unincorporated towns between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica. He took office in December 2022. He also serves as a member of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s Citizens Advisory Committee, providing input to the agency’s Board of Directors.
Assembly District 23 includes the south Peninsula cities around Palo Alto and Mountain View plus Campbell and Saratoga, and the entire San Mateo County coast. (See Map). It is represented by incumbent Democrat Marc Berman, a lawyer. As Berman is being challenged by another Democrat, the division among Democrats may provide a better opportunity for Mattammal.
Gus Mattammal grew up in inner-city St. Louis, the son of a father who was an immigrant from India and a mother who grew up on a farm in Illinois. He came to California to attend Pomona College, where he earned degrees in physics and mathematics. After a few years working, he returned to school and earned a master’s at the Yale School of Management.
He worked in business jobs in the Los Angeles area and then New York City, where he worked for Advantage Testing, a tutoring business. He subsequently came to the Bay Area in 2007 to open a Silicon Valley office for them. He continues to direct that office, as well as tutoring a range of tests and subjects.
Gus lives in coastal El Granada with his wife Jill and their border collie Dixie. You can learn more about Gus and watch his thoughtful videos on his campaign website, www.gusforca.com.