By SOPHIE AUSTIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The University of Southern California has called off a gubernatorial debate originally scheduled for Tuesday after candidates of color, who would have been excluded, accused the institution of discrimination.
Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, along with Democrats Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell, and Matt Mahan, all of whom are white, were set to participate in the debate hosted by USC’s Dornsife Center for the Political Future and KABC-TV. However, four established Democratic candidates of color—Antonio Villaraigosa, Xavier Becerra, Betty Yee, and Tony Thurmond—did not qualify for participation.
No clear front-runner has emerged in the crowded race leading up to the June 2 primary, with ballots set to be mailed out in early May.
The university has defended its selection criteria and rejected claims of bias, stating that a public policy professor created the criteria based on candidates’ polling and fundraising efforts.
A letter from a group of 50 public policy and social science scholars nationwide backed the professor, urging the university to maintain its academic integrity amid political pressure.
“We urge USC to stand firm in rejecting all efforts to apply political pressure on its faculty and its overall academic mission,” they stated.
However, later on Monday night, the university reversed its stance, indicating that the debate co-hosts could not come to an agreement.
“The data-driven candidate viability formula is grounded in extensive research and has broad academic support,” it noted. “Nonetheless, we acknowledge that the concerns regarding the selection criteria for the gubernatorial debate have created a significant distraction from the issues that are important to voters.”
The cancellation follows recent remarks from state Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, who urged candidates to consider withdrawing if their campaigns seemed unviable, given the chance that two leading Republicans might advance to the general election. This scenario is possible under California’s unique top-two primary system, which allows only the top two vote-getters to proceed to November, regardless of party affiliation.
On Tuesday, Hicks unveiled polling results that showed Hilton, Porter, Bianco, Swalwell, and Steyer in tight competition, with other candidates lagging behind, consistent with recent polls.
“These results indicate the potential—albeit slim—that Democrats could be excluded from the general election,” Hicks commented. “More crucially, it serves as yet another reminder that all candidates must genuinely evaluate their path to victory.”
Many critics have directed their ire at Mahan’s inclusion over rival candidates. The San Jose mayor, Mahan, entered the race months after his competitors but has outperformed some in fundraising due to contributions from wealthy Silicon Valley donors.
Mahan responded on the social platform X, stating, “The answer isn’t to cancel debates; it’s to hear all voices.”
The situation intensified on Monday when legislative leaders, including the heads of the Black and Latino caucuses, urged organizers to allow other established candidates to participate.
“If USC does not take the right step, we call upon California voters to boycott this debate,” they wrote. “If the university doesn’t provide voters with an equitable evaluation of all gubernatorial candidates, voters should seek alternative methods to learn about the candidates.”
Villaraigosa, a former mayor of Los Angeles and a Latino, praised the university’s decision to cancel the debate.
“USC made the correct decision, even if it was late and under pressure,” he remarked.
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Associated Press writer Trân Nguyễn contributed.
