The University of Southern California abruptly called off its planned Tuesday gubernatorial debate less than a day before it was scheduled, following an intensifying backlash over the exclusion of all candidates of color from the stage.
School officials initially stood by the selection process used to determine which contenders qualified for the forum. But as criticism mounted, the university ultimately scrapped the event, citing the growing controversy and an impasse with co-host KABC over whether to broaden participation.
“We recognize that concerns about the selection criteria for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate have created a significant distraction from the issues that matter to voters,” the university said in a statement late Monday. “Unfortunately, USC and [debate co-sponsor] KABC have not been able to reach an agreement on expanding the number of candidates at tomorrow’s debate. As a result, USC has made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow’s debate and will look for other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues.”
The now-canceled debate had been scheduled at a pivotal moment in the crowded race, less than two months before ballots are set to be mailed in what has become one of the most volatile and wide-open gubernatorial contests in recent California history.
The decision followed days of mounting pressure, including sharp objections from four high-profile candidates of color who had been left off the debate stage and urged fellow Democrats to boycott the event.
Among them, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who praised the cancellation as a victory, posted on social media that the protest effort had succeeded in challenging what he described as an unfair setup.
“We fought. We won!” he posted on X. “We stood up against an unfair candidate debate set-up that prematurely chose winners and losers. Tonight USC made the right decision to cancel their March 24 gubernatorial forum…so hopefully next time it’s done right. Thank you to everyone who stood up, raised hell and demanded justice. Never give up when you’re fighting for fairness!”
The controversy escalated further just hours before the cancellation, when top Democratic state lawmakers — including Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-CA) and Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limon — urged voters to skip the debate unless the excluded candidates were invited. In a letter to USC President Beong-Soo Kim, they warned that backlash was growing rapidly across the state, fueled by legal threats, campaign criticism, and voter frustration.
The controversy over the methodology, developed by USC political scientist Christian Grose, centered on the inclusion of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan (D), a white candidate who entered the race earlier this year and is generally polling at 3%-4%. Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former state Controller Betty Yee, all of whom are polling between 1% and 5%, were excluded.
“The university’s selection process — built on a formula never before used for a debate of this scale- has delivered a result that is biased,” the legislative leaders’ letter said. “When a methodology produces this outcome — one that elevates a candidate with notable ties to USC’s donor community and the co-director of the Dornsife Center for the Political Future — the burden falls on USC to explain itself, not on everyone else to accept it. If USC does not do the right thing, we call on California voters to boycott this debate.”
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Even as political tensions flared, a separate group of academics from institutions including the University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University, and Harvard University issued an eight-page letter in defense of Grose. They argued that while scholarly disagreements are expected, the backlash had veered into personal attacks and unfounded accusations, raising broader concerns about political pressure on academic work.
A recent UC-Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll showed Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco each pulling 17% of the vote. U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter followed with with 13%, while billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer pulled in 10%. Becerra had 5%, Villaraigosa and Mahan tied at 4%, while Yee and Thurmond had 1% each.
