Democrats Excluded from USC Gubernatorial Debate Urge Rivals to Boycott

Candidates of color say debate criteria unfairly excluded them from the forum.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 2:55am

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Four Democratic candidates for California governor who were excluded from an upcoming debate at the University of Southern California called on their rivals to boycott the event, arguing that the criteria used to determine who was invited resulted in every prominent candidate of color being left out.

Why it matters

The debate, scheduled for less than two months before ballots are mailed to voters, is seen as an important forum for candidates to reach a wide audience. The exclusion of diverse candidates has raised concerns about the fairness of the selection process and the ability of voters to hear from a representative set of gubernatorial hopefuls.

The details

The four excluded Democrats - Xavier Becerra, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Thurmond, and Betty Yee - said the debate criteria, which combined polling and fundraising, unfairly favored San José Mayor Matt Mahan, who entered the race later. They argued the formula penalized candidates who had been campaigning longer. The debate organizers, including USC and media partners, defended the methodology as objective and data-driven, but the candidates called it biased.

  • The debate is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, 2026.
  • Ballots for the June 2, 2026 primary election will begin arriving in voters' mailboxes less than two months after the debate.

The players

Xavier Becerra

Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and one of the four Democratic candidates excluded from the debate.

Antonio Villaraigosa

Former Mayor of Los Angeles and one of the four Democratic candidates excluded from the debate.

Tony Thurmond

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction and one of the four Democratic candidates excluded from the debate.

Betty Yee

Former California State Controller and one of the four Democratic candidates excluded from the debate.

Matt Mahan

Mayor of San José and one of the Democratic candidates invited to participate in the debate.

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What they’re saying

“We ask each and every candidate who is in this race to recognize that if we can't have a fair process for a debate, then we should all not participate. We call on them to withdraw from this biased forum.”

— Xavier Becerra, Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary

“The rules initially were polling and money. Matt Mahan is [polling] lower than some of us, period. They then added time in the race, which resulted in Mahan's invitation.”

— Antonio Villaraigosa, Former Mayor of Los Angeles

“The idea that it was biased or designed to create some sort of outcome to disfavor the candidates who spoke at the press conference is just not correct.”

— Christian Grose, USC Political Science Professor

What’s next

The four excluded Democratic candidates have requested to speak with USC's president about either canceling the debate or incorporating more candidates. The debate organizers have not yet indicated if they will make any changes to the event.

The takeaway

The exclusion of diverse candidates from the USC gubernatorial debate has raised concerns about the fairness of the selection process and the ability of voters to hear from a representative set of gubernatorial hopefuls. The controversy highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring equitable access to important political forums.