USC Cancels Gubernatorial Debate After Criticisms of Lack of Diversity

The University of Southern California (USC) cancelled a gubernatorial debate after receiving criticism from people claiming there is a lack of diversity in the candidates featured.

While there are “eight Democrats and two Republicans” running to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) as governor, only six candidates were included in the debate — which was supposed to take place on March 24, according to the New York Times. All of the candidates included in the debate were reported to be white.

Per the outlet:

Tuesday’s debate was scheduled to include six candidates — two Republicans and three Democrats who were polling at the top, as well as another Democrat, Matt Mahan, the major of San Jose. Mr. Mahan’s polling has been weak, but he has raised millions of dollars from Silicon Valley executives since he entered the race in late January.

It was the inclusion of Mr. Mahan — who, like the other five debate participants, is white — that led to blowback from the prominent candidates of color who were left out.

The university explained that they “and KABC, the Los Angeles television station that was broadcasting the debate,” were unable to agree on “how to allow more candidates,” according to the outlet.

Former Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Biden administration, Xavier Becerra, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D), were among the four candidates not participating in the event. The other two candidates who were also not participating in the event were California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former California State Controller Betty Yee (D).

“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,” Yee expressed.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported that the gubernatorial debate had been canceled, reported that the university expressed that “it was a ‘difficult decision'” to make.

In a post on X, Elex Michaelson, a CNN anchor and correspondent, shared a letter from “leaders of CA’s legislature” to USC President Beong-Soo Kim, in which they demanded that the debate be open “to all leading candidates.”

“The outcry over this debate is deafening and includes legal demands from the excluded candidates’ attorneys, public calls by elected leaders across the state, concerns from the included candidates’ own campaigns, and growing alarm from California voters,” the letter said.