California governor debate canceled after criticism of criteria that excluded candidates of color
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- A California gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday was canceled hours before it was to occur due to criticism that only white candidates qualified under the set polling and fundraising criteria, excluding all nonwhite candidates.
- The University of Southern California (USC) and KABC, co-sponsors of the debate, were unable to agree on expanding the candidate list, leading USC to cancel the event to avoid distracting from voter issues.
- The six invited candidates, all white, included three Democrats and three Republicans, while notable nonwhite candidates such as Xavier Becerra and Antonio Villaraigosa were excluded, sparking protests and calls for a boycott of the debate.
- The controversy highlights concerns among California Democrats about the crowded gubernatorial field potentially splitting the vote and enabling a Republican victory in a traditionally blue state.
- Efforts were underway by some campaigns to organize an alternative debate including all candidates, but no final plans had been confirmed at the time of the cancellation.
