The University of Southern California (USC) has decided to cancel a debate involving several gubernatorial candidates after facing criticism for a perceived lack of diversity among the participants.
Originally, USC and local news station KABC had planned to host a debate featuring six candidates: Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, commentator Steve Hilton, and Democrats Tom Steyer, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter, and Rep. Eric Swalwell.
The event was set for Tuesday night. However, following backlash, USC issued a cancellation letter late Monday night, reporting that the situation had become too controversial.
The university acknowledged this in a statement, saying, “We recognize that concerns about the selection criteria for tomorrow’s gubernatorial debate are a significant distraction from issues important to voters.” They also noted the difficulty in increasing the number of candidates and expressed intentions to find other ways to engage voters.
The controversy partly stemmed from comments made by former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who criticized the decision to exclude him from the debate and suggested that the criteria for that decision were arbitrary. He accused USC of discrimination against candidates of color and called out the inclusion of candidates with less diverse backgrounds.
Many candidates voiced dissatisfaction with the candidate selection process and encouraged their supporters to boycott the debate.
In a follow-up communication, USC defended its methodology but acknowledged that the debate would be postponed indefinitely. “USC vigorously defends the independence and integrity of the evaluation process used for candidate selection,” they stated, emphasizing that the underlying formula was based on substantial research.
Becerra expressed his relief about the cancellation, stating that it was a victory against an unfair system that was prematurely deciding the outcomes of races. He thanked supporters who rallied against the exclusionary practices.
Interestingly, a recent poll indicated that Republican candidates are currently leading the crowded field for the governorship, with Steve Hilton receiving the most support at 17%, followed closely by Bianco at 16%. This suggests that, despite the controversy, the Republican candidates might be seen as strong contenders in the upcoming race.
