According to multiple sources, the proposed Governor’s Forum was hastily put together within hours of USC canceling Tuesday’s debate because candidates of color, who were cut from the previously planned event, were unable to appear in person at KNBC-TV’s studios in Universal City.
Facing mounting pressure that its debate selection criteria excluded candidates of every color, the university canceled its debate late Monday night. On Tuesday morning, billionaire Tom Steyer – a Democrat – proposed an alternative face-off while moderating KNBC. But the candidates who were not invited to the USC debate already had other commitments.
“A lot of it came out of nowhere — there’s a debate and you’re not invited, then there’s no debate after that, and then maybe we should all hang out and have a conversation,” said Kyle Layman, a strategist who advised former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
USC officials declined to comment on Tuesday’s developments — as did KABC-TV, one of the broadcast partners of the canceled debate. KNBC did not respond to a request for comment, but someone involved in planning a potential debate there said it was impossible to pull off such an event in just a few hours, and also unfair to candidates who had made other plans after initially being excluded from the USC debate.
“We looked at the possibility of doing something. It wasn’t possible because of last-minute logistics. It wasn’t possible,” said the person, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “We couldn’t get everyone here.”
However, the fact that candidates excluded from the USC debate could not find a way to participate in Tuesday evening’s alternative forum upset some involved in the planning. Becerra, State Superintendent. Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former State Comptroller Betty Yee loudly protested not being invited to the USC event.
“This is probably one of the last opportunities he has to keep up with the other leading contenders in the race, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?” Someone who participated in the conversations about the proposed last-minute debate requested anonymity to speak candidly. “If the whole thing is about getting your message out to voters, making sure voters have as much information as possible, talking about the issues that matter, wouldn’t you want to take advantage of every opportunity to do that?
“If you’re going to make a big deal about the importance of debate, to get your message out to voters, why not do that?” This person said.
Becerra, Thurmond, Villaraigosa and Yee have reportedly made an informal agreement not to participate in any debates that do not involve all of them, which Yee referenced at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
“The idea that none of the candidates of color would attend the debate is completely inappropriate for a state like California,” Yee said. “We also need a commitment from all debate sponsors that they will include us all going forward.”
Yee and Thurmond were not invited to the next major televised debate, which will take place on April 1 at Fresno State University. Becerra and Villaraigosa had already confirmed their attendance, according to a news release from the Western Growers Association, one of the event’s sponsors.
And all four candidates of color, including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, were not invited to a debate in San Francisco on April 22, which will be hosted by KRON-TV and broadcast on Nexstar Media Group stations throughout California.
“We don’t need gatekeepers,” Mahan said in a statement Tuesday evening. “I’m calling on my fellow candidates to work together to organize our own debates – so we can take our ideas for a better California to every corner of California. Let’s let the voters actually decide.”
The canceled USC debate will be hosted by the institution’s Dornsife Center for the Political Future and co-sponsored by KABC and Univision. Six candidates were invited to run: Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), former Orange County Representative Katie Porter, Mahan and Steyer; Prominent Republicans, along with conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
Candidates and elected officials described the criteria used to determine participation in the debate as biased because it included Mahan, a white candidate who is polling at the bottom of the pack but is supported by notable names in the USC community. Hours after the debate was canceled, Steyer’s campaign sought to create an alternative schedule that included all candidates.
“After learning that the debate at USC was canceled, we were trying to do the right thing,” said a member of Steyer’s campaign, requesting anonymity to speak candidly. “Tom immediately said, ‘We can do something alternative.’ People want to hear from gubernatorial candidates. It was on the table. This was offered.
This person said, “NBC couldn’t get all the candidates here, but we tried.” “Given the short amount of time we were trying to put this together, it ultimately couldn’t happen because not all the candidates could get to the studio.”
Thurmond, who was in Sacramento and Richmond on Tuesday, joined a political influencer on YouTube Tuesday evening, while Yee attended previously scheduled events with East Area Progressive Democrats and a women’s group in the L.A. area. Villaraigosa had other interviews lined up at his Wilshire campaign office, Becerra was traveling, and Porter was scheduled to host a livestream on his Instagram account Tuesday evening.
