After the University of Southern California cancelled its televised gubernatorial debate, Democrats were unable to come up with an alternative forum due to confusion over the rules. The University of California's invitation to the debate, which included several white candidates, was seen as a sign of California’s ongoing failures. The remaining candidates excluded included California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California State Controller Betty Yee. Despite this, the Democrats failed to agree on a commitment to continue including all the candidates in future debates. The university has not committed to a new date for the debate.