California gubernatorial debate canceled amid accusations of racially biased eligibility rules

A California gubernatorial debate co-sponsored by USC and KABC was canceled hours before it would begin after criticism that the qualifying criteria—based on polling and fundraising—excluded nonwhite candidates. USC defended the rules as research-based, while excluded campaigns denounced the process. The invited lineup—Porter, Steyer, Swalwell, Bianco, Hilton, and Mahan—was all white, prompting calls from excluded candidates’ camps for a fairer forum and plans for a separate event that never materialized as the USC-KABC debate was scrapped.