The University of Southern California has pulled the plug on a planned gubernatorial primary debate after facing intense backlash over the fact that every invited candidate was white. The decision, first reported by several major news outlets, follows a wave of criticism from high-profile minority candidates who were left off the stage despite the state’s diverse political landscape.
USC and KABC-TV originally selected six candidates for the event: Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, alongside Democrats Eric Swalwell, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan, and Tom Steyer.
The organizers used a formula that combined campaign fundraising and polling numbers to determine who qualified. However, that criterion excluded several prominent Latino and Asian American contenders, leading to accusations of an unfair selection process.
Among those left out were former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former State Controller Betty Yee. During a virtual news conference held on March 20, Becerra, who has recently polled in the low single digits, called for a boycott of the event.
READ: “Not For It”: Louisiana Sen. Kennedy Torpedoes Rumors Of Trump-Backed DHS Funding Deal
“We ask each and every candidate who is in this race to recognize that if we can’t have a fair process for a debate, then we should all not participate,” Becerra said, according to NBC.
Villaraigosa, whose polling also sits below 5%, challenged the math behind the invitations during the same press conference.
He claimed the criteria weren’t applied consistently, stating, “This was supposed to be based on polling and money raised. Some of us have been able to raise more money and are higher in the polls than a candidate who was invited.”
The debate drama comes at a tense time for the California Democratic Party. State leaders are currently urging some Democrats to drop out of the race to avoid splitting the vote.
Recent polls show that Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff, and Hilton, a former Fox News contributor, are currently on track to take the top two spots in the June 2 all-party primary. Under California’s system, the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election regardless of their party affiliation.
California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks addressed the crowded field in a statement released Tuesday, highlighting a poll that showed the two Republicans advancing. “All candidates must honestly assess their viable path to win, and I continue to call for them to do so,” Hicks said.
The stakes for the Democratic Party remain high. While a Republican hasn’t won a governor’s race in California since 2006, and the state hasn’t backed a GOP presidential nominee since 1988, a “top-two” lockout could keep a Democrat off the ballot entirely this November. For now, the cancellation of the USC debate leaves voters without a televised forum to compare the leading candidates side-by-side.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
