The University of Southern California canceled its planned gubernatorial debate just hours before it was set to begin. The cancellation came after the university faced heavy criticism because all six qualified candidates invited to participate were white.
Some Democratic lawmakers were unhappy with the criteria USC used to decide who could join the debate. According to Mediaite, they publicly claimed the formula was biased and called on voters to boycott the event if the excluded candidates were not included.
The Democrats invited to participate included Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, and San José Mayor Matt Mahan. While they all condemned USC’s selection criteria, none of them had actually pulled out of the debate. On the Republican side, former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco were the two invited candidates.
The exclusion of four non-white candidates raised serious concerns about representation in a minority-majority state
The candidates excluded from the debate were former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former State Controller Betty Yee, ex-U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. All four are non-white. California’s political landscape has been making headlines beyond this debate, as a registered sex offender running for office recently held a press conference near a school.
Betty Yee voiced her frustration, saying, “We are a minority-majority state, and the idea that the four candidates of color are not going to be on the stage to bring those perspectives, to really speak to those communities, is really not doing right by the voters.”
Breaking News: USC canceled a California governor’s debate on short notice after facing outrage over including only white candidates. https://t.co/6D4VV2KzdO
— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 24, 2026
After USC announced the cancellation, Villaraigosa said the school made the “right call.” However, Republican candidate Steve Hilton strongly criticized the decision, stating, “A Republican is leading in the polls, so what do Democrats do? Cancel the debate. What a total joke California Democrats have become.”
USC defended its selection process in a statement, saying their methodology was “based on well-established metrics consistent with formulas widely used to set debate participation nationwide, a combination of polling and fundraising, and developed without regard to any particular candidate.”
California has also been in the news for other consumer controversies, including a story about a Honda sales manager adding unexpected charges after a customer refused his inappropriate request. The university also said it is now looking for “other opportunities” to educate voters. California is set to elect the successor to Governor Gavin Newsom later this year.
