USC has cancelled its planned gubernatorial debate due to backlash over selection criteria that excluded several prominent candidates of color, including former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and former State Controller Betty Yee. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, argued that the university's criteria for participation unfairly sidelined qualified candidates. Some even urged voters to boycott the debate unless USC expanded the lineup. The university defended its selection process, stating it used standard measures used in debates nationwide and used a data-driven candidate viability formula developed without regard to any particular candidate. However, the controversy surrounding the debate had become too significant to ignore.