USC Cancels California Gubernatorial Debate After Only White Candidates Qualify
Give California’s Democrats credit: They remain committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, even at the expense of their own interests.
According to KTLA-TV in Los Angeles, the University of Southern California cancelled a gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday after all of the non-white candidates failed to qualify.
Christian Grose, Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, developed the methodology used to select qualified candidates for debate.
“USC vigorously defends the independence, objectivity, and integrity of USC Professor Christian Grose, whose data-driven candidate viability formula is based on extensive research and enjoys broad academic support. At the same time, 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.
The “concerns about the selection criteria” involved its outcome: no non-white candidates on the debate stage.
“If USC does not do the right thing, we call on California voters to boycott this debate,” the chairs of the California legislators’ black and Latino caucuses wrote, per KCRA-TV in Los Angeles. “If the university will not give voters a fair shot at evaluating everyone running for governor, voters should find other ways to learn about the candidates.”
Predictably, the university caved to that shopworn tactic of identity-based emotional blackmail.
“Unfortunately, USC and 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,” the statement concluded, per KTLA.
Meanwhile, on the social media platform X, both Republican and Democratic candidates criticized the university, albeit for different reasons.
“Tonight’s governor debate was canceled by the Democrat leadership of the state legislature,” Republican Steve Hilton wrote. “It was their letter of intimidation to USC that caused them to cave. Democrats are panicking because I am leading. We already knew they steal and cheat. Now we know they hate debate. These incompetent authoritarians have completely lost any trust or credibility.”
Tonight’s governor debate was canceled by the Democrat leadership of the state legislature. It was their letter of intimidation to USC that caused them to cave.
Democrats are panicking because I am leading. We already knew they steal and cheat. Now we know they hate debate.… https://t.co/GNRWtBcw5F
— Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) March 25, 2026
On Sunday, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California genuflected at the DEI altar by blaming USC’s selection criteria.
“USC, and every host of a gubernatorial debate, should employ fair, objective, and honest criteria for all candidates. I remain hopeful they will do so Tuesday night,” Swalwell wrote.
Debates are a fundamental part of our democratic process. The people of California deserve the opportunity to hear from candidates directly about key issues at such a critical time for our state and country.
It is a shame that USC has decided to elevate one candidate at the…
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) March 22, 2026
Democrat Katie Porter also blamed the university.
“I’m disappointed by how USC handled the process for Tuesday’s debate. Candidates and Californians deserve answers,” she wrote.
Debates are at the heart of our democracy, giving voters the opportunity to hear candidates discuss and contrast our visions for California. Criteria used to determine which candidates qualify to participate in a debate must be transparent, fair, and objective.
I’m disappointed…
— Katie Porter (@katieporterca) March 22, 2026
According to the latest RealClearPolling aggregate of polls, Hilton leads Swalwell by one percentage point in a wide-open race ahead of the state’s June 2 open primary. Republican Chad Bianco, sheriff of Riverside County, ranked third. Porter and a host of lesser-known Democrats rounded out the field.
Incredibly, the sheer volume of mediocre Democrats in the race has raised the possibility that only the two Republicans, Hilton and Bianco, will advance to the general election in November.
In fact, Democrat state officials have already begun to panic over the possibility.
Earlier this month, for instance, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks drafted an open letter urging the candidates with the weakest polling numbers to withdraw from the race. Those candidates, particularly the non-white ones, did not take kindly to the suggestion.
Now, Tuesday’s debate debacle has given California Democrats another egg-on-the-face moment.
How long will they remain committed to DEI while faced with the prospect of a Republican governor? Time will tell. But so far, they have not wavered in their quasi-religious devotion to that discriminatory faith.
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