Democratic hopefuls vying for the governorship of California are expressing outrage following the abrupt cancellation of a planned debate, citing accusations of racial discrimination as the cause.
The University of Southern California decided to cancel the debate, originally set for Tuesday night, amid objections from lower-polling Democratic candidates who argued their exclusion was racially motivated.
“We fought. We won! We stood up against an unfair candidate debate set-up that prematurely chose winners and losers,” Xavier Becerra, the former California Attorney General who was among those not invited, declared on X Monday evening.
The controversy arose after USC’s selection criteria for the debate excluded Becerra, ex-Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, California schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond and former state controller Betty Yee — but included San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who has polled at less than 5% in recent surveys.
“California isn’t working for too many working people — the answer isn’t to cancel debates, it’s to hear all voices,” Mahan wrote on X after the debate cancellation.
The excluded candidates pressured fellow Dems to boycott the event over allegations of “bias” — as Becerra and others claimed the university selected white candidates intentionally.
Other candidates blasted the decision as ridiculous.
“Heading to LA for tonight’s debate – which has just been CANCELED because LPDs (Low Polling Democrats) whined about being excluded.
”Democrats ALWAYS put the political insiders ahead of the people,” Republican Steve Hilton, who’s leading polls, fumed on X.
“We are DONE with these clowns.”
“They have excluded all the diverse candidates from participating, while they have invited a white candidate who has NEVER achieved better results in the polls than some of the ethnic minority candidates, including me,” Becerra wrote on X last week.
“The university’s selection process — built on a formula never before used for a debate of this scale, has delivered a result that is biased,” read a letter from California legislative leaders, per the Los Angeles Times.
USC said its selection criteria takes polling and fundraising into account as a measure of viability. Mahan’s campaign has raised millions from Silicon Valley tech barons.
Democrats are increasingly anxious about the possibility of two Republicans — Hilton and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco — advancing to the November general election as Democratic voters remain heavily splintered.
Hilton is leading the field in recent polls, with Bianco not far behind.
East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer are vying for the top spot among Dems.
