A last-minute attempt to salvage a televised forum for California gubernatorial candidates faltered Tuesday, just hours after the University of Southern California canceled a planned debate amid criticism over its selection criteria. The proposed forum, initially floated by Democrat Tom Steyer, collapsed due to scheduling conflicts with candidates who had been excluded from the USC event, highlighting the growing tensions surrounding access and equity in the race for the state’s highest office. The situation underscores the challenges of quickly organizing such events and the complexities of accommodating a crowded field of contenders.
The initial debate at USC, set to be co-sponsored by KABC and Univision, was scrapped late Monday after facing mounting pressure for excluding candidates of color. The university’s decision, reported by the Los Angeles Times, sparked immediate backlash and calls for a boycott. Steyer then proposed an alternative forum moderated by KNBC, but the candidates initially left out – Xavier Becerra, Tony Thurmond, Antonio Villaraigosa, and Betty Yee – already had commitments due to the abrupt cancellation. This incident has quickly become a focal point in the gubernatorial race, raising questions about representation and fairness in the debate process.
A Rapidly Changing Landscape
The sequence of events unfolded quickly. After USC’s cancellation, Steyer’s campaign moved swiftly to propose a solution, hoping to provide voters with a platform to hear from all candidates. However, Kyle Layman, a strategist advising former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, described the situation as chaotic. “A lot of this came out of nowhere — there’s a debate and you’re not invited, followed by there’s no debate, and then maybe we should all hang out and have a conversation,” Layman said. The speed of the developments made logistical coordination nearly impossible, according to sources involved in the planning.
An individual involved with planning at KNBC, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the difficulties. “We looked into the possibility of doing something. It just wasn’t possible since of the last-minute logistics. It was not feasible,” they said. “We couldn’t get everybody here.” The short notice and pre-existing schedules of the excluded candidates proved insurmountable obstacles. The situation too revealed a degree of frustration among some involved in the planning process, with some questioning why the candidates didn’t prioritize the opportunity to participate.
An Informal Pact and Concerns Over Representation
The four candidates excluded from the USC debate – Becerra, Thurmond, Villaraigosa, and Yee – have reportedly formed an informal agreement not to participate in any debate that does not include all of them. Betty Yee publicly referenced this pact during a Tuesday afternoon news conference, stating, “The idea that none of the candidates of color are going to be joining a debate is just inappropriate for a state like California. We also need to have a commitment from all of the debate sponsors that they will include all of us going forward.” This stance underscores the candidates’ commitment to ensuring equitable representation in the debate process.
The issue extends beyond the canceled USC debate. Yee and Thurmond were not invited to the next major televised debate, scheduled for April 1 at Fresno State University, though Becerra and Villaraigosa have confirmed their attendance, according to a news release from the Western Growers Assn., one of the event’s sponsors. All four candidates of color, along with San José Mayor Matt Mahan, were excluded from a debate planned for April 22 in San Francisco, hosted by KRON-TV and broadcast on Nexstar Media Group stations. Mahan, in a statement released Tuesday evening, called for candidates to organize their own debates, arguing, “We don’t need gatekeepers…Let’s let the voters truly decide.”
The Criteria Controversy
The initial controversy stemmed from the criteria used to select participants for the USC debate. Critics argued that the inclusion of Mahan, a white candidate polling lower than others, while excluding candidates of color, demonstrated a bias in the selection process. The criteria reportedly favored candidates with connections to the USC community, a point of contention for those excluded. Steyer’s campaign, in attempting to create an alternative forum, aimed to address this perceived inequity, but ultimately faced logistical hurdles.
A member of Steyer’s campaign, also speaking anonymously, explained their efforts: “We were trying to do the right thing upon learning that the debate was canceled at USC. Tom immediately was like, ‘We can do something alternative.’ People seek to hear from the gubernatorial candidates. It was on the table. It was offered. NBC couldn’t get all the candidates here, but we tried.” The campaign member acknowledged the difficulty of organizing an event on such short notice, emphasizing that the candidates’ prior commitments were a key factor in the forum’s failure to materialize.
While the proposed KNBC forum didn’t come to fruition, the candidates continued to engage with voters through other channels. Thurmond participated in a YouTube interview, Yee attended scheduled events with progressive groups in Los Angeles, Villaraigosa conducted interviews at his campaign office, Becerra traveled, and Porter hosted a livestream on Instagram. These alternative engagements demonstrate the candidates’ continued efforts to reach voters despite the debate setbacks.
The next scheduled debate is set for April 1 at Fresno State University. The ongoing debate over inclusion and representation is likely to continue shaping the dynamics of the California gubernatorial race as the election draws closer. The candidates’ commitment to equitable participation in future forums will be closely watched by voters and observers alike.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as they become available. If you are interested in learning more about the candidates and their positions, you can visit their official campaign websites.
