Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra criticized a planned California gubernatorial debate hosted by University of Southern California and local broadcaster ABC7 Los Angeles, arguing that the event unfairly excludes candidates of color, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
The March 24 debate is set to feature six candidates in the race for California governor ahead of the June primary. Becerra, one of several Democrats running, said the selection process kept him and other candidates of color off the stage and called the decision “unfair,” adding that it “smells of election rigging” in what observers describe as a competitive race.
In a public letter to USC President Beong-Soo Kim, Becerra compared the exclusion to historical discrimination his father once faced. He argued that by limiting the candidates shown to voters, the university was shaping public perception of the race.
“My father used to tell me of the days when he would encounter signs posted outside establishments that read ‘No Dogs, Negroes or Mexicans Allowed,’” Becerra wrote in a public letter to USC President Beong-Soo Kim. “USC’s actions may not seem so transparent. But, you have deliberately chosen to selectively filter the voters’ view of the field of gubernatorial candidates in what all observers characterize as a wide-open race.”
USC said the criteria for participation were set independently by political scientist Christian Grose, a professor of political science and international relations. According to a statement from the university’s USC Center for the Political Future, the methodology was developed without involvement from USC administrators.
The center said the selection formula considered both opinion polling and campaign fundraising. Six candidates qualified under that system for the debate, which is co-sponsored by ABC7 Los Angeles and Univision.
Questions arose, however, about how fundraising figures were calculated. The written methodology initially indicated totals were based on semiannual financial reports filed with the California Secretary of State. Elsewhere in the document, it also referenced large donations that campaigns must report immediately.
That distinction matters because Matt Mahan, the mayor of San José, entered the race in late January and has not yet filed semiannual fundraising disclosures. Still, he has received major donations since launching his campaign.
Mahan supported Becerra’s criticism, saying the former cabinet secretary deserved to be included in discussions about the state’s leadership.
USC officials later said they were clarifying the criteria, noting that both semiannual filings and late fundraising reports were always part of the calculation. Grose said the discrepancy was simply a wording issue rather than a change in methodology.
The six candidates invited to the debate include Republicans Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, and conservative commentator Steve Hilton. Democratic participants include U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of Northern California, former Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County, billionaire investor Tom Steyer, and Mahan.
The dispute comes amid broader tensions in the Democratic primary. Several candidates of color have accused party leaders of favoring white candidates who currently poll higher.
Other prominent Democrats excluded from the debate include former state Controller Betty Yee, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Villaraigosa, who previously taught public policy at USC, also criticized the selection process, saying voters deserve a fair opportunity to hear from all qualified candidates. He argued the formula unfairly sidelined Black, Latino, and Asian Pacific Islander contenders
Source: Reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
