USC Cancels Gubernatorial Debate Amid Backlash Over Candidate Selection Criteria

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A gubernatorial debate planned for today at USC has been canceled following criticism of the formula used to determine participants.
   ``We recognize that concerns about the selection criteria for tomorrow's gubernatorial debate have created a significant distraction from the issues that matter to voters,'' the university said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times late Monday night.
   ``Unfortunately, USC and (debate co-sponsor) KABC have not been able to reach an agreement on expanding the number of candidates at tomorrow's debate. As a result, USC has made the difficult decision to cancel tomorrow's debate and will look for other opportunities to educate voters on the candidates and issues.''
   University President Beong-Soo Kim emailed people involved with debate planning at 10:30 p.m. Monday informing them he had decided to cancel the event, the Los Angeles Times reported.
   ``It is late and I have been at this all night,'' Kim wrote in the email obtained by the Times. ``I wanted to inform you directly that, after a lot of consultation and reflection, I have made the very difficult decision to cancel tomorrow's debate.
   ``I know this will make several of you extremely disappointed. I hope you will understand the decision was made in good faith based on my long-term view as to what was best for the university.''
   The inclusion of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in the debate field drew criticism along with the absence of any non-white candidates.
   ``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,'' a letter sent Monday evening to Kim by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, D-Goleta,  and the leaders of the legislative Latino, Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, LGBTQ, Jewish and women's caucuses.
   ``When a methodology produces this outcome -- one that elevates a candidate with notable ties to USC's donor community and the co-director of the Dornsife Center for the Political Future -- the burden falls on USC to explain itself, not on everyone else to accept it. If USC does not do the right thing, we call on California voters to boycott this debate.''
   Mike Murphy, a co-director of the Dornsife Center for the Political Future, the debate's host, has been voluntarily advising an independent expenditure committee backing Mahan, according to the Times.
   The veteran Republican strategist previously said he had nothing to do with organizing the debate and that he had asked for unpaid leave at the university through the June 2nd primary if he were to take a paid role, the Times reported.
   Billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso and his wife have made tens of millions of dollars in donations to USC and he is a former member of its Board of Trustees. Caruso is also a Mahan supporter.
   ``I had no conversations with the debate hosts or organizers'' Caruso said in a statement to the Times on Monday. ``This is the most important election for California in a generation, and I encourage everyone to be engaged, learn as much as possible about each candidate, then form an opinion who can move California forward in the most positive of ways.
   ``Watching debates is a part of that process. That is why I believe debates should include all the credible candidates.''
   In a statement issued by USC Friday, the organizers denied any allegations that the debate criteria was in any way biased in favor of or against any candidate.
   Organizers noted the general parameters for the debate were established last year when candidates were notified that a debate would take place with the top performing candidates.
   At the request of USC, professor of political science and public policy Christian Grose ``independently developed the data-driven methodology to rank candidates' viability for the debate,'' the statement read.
   This methodology included a combination of polling and fundraising data -- and the formulas used were posted online.
   Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former state Controller Betty Yee failed to meet the criteria.
   ``We are a minority-majority state and the idea that the four candidates of color are not going to be on that stage to bring those perspectives to really speak to those communities -- is really not doing right by the voters,'' Yee said on Friday.
   Becerra praised the decision to cancel the debate.
   ``We fought. We won!'' Becerra wrote on social media shortly before midnight. ``We stood up against an unfair candidate debate set-up that prematurely chose winners and losers. Tonight USC made the right decision to cancel their March 24 gubernatorial forum -- so hopefully next time it's done right.
   ``Thank you to everyone who stood up, raised hell and demanded justice. Never give up when you're fighting for fairness!''