LOS ANGELES - The University of Southern California decided to cancel its Tuesday night gubernatorial debate after accusations that it excluded four of the only candidates of color, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The private university came under fire when Xavier Becerra, a Mexican American candidate for governor, sent a scathing letter to the university’s president last week accusing it of the blatant exclusion of four candidates from the debate. He called it a “chilling and dangerous” move. The university decided to cancel the event on Monday, less than a day before it was scheduled to take place.

The three other excluded candidates, former state Controller Betty Yee, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, also denounced the move and called on others who were invited to boycott the forum, the Times reported.

Story Date: March 29, 2026