Four prominent Democratic candidates had complained about being excluded under the debate’s formula.
The post Here’s what led to USC’s gubernatorial debate cancellation appeared first on Daily Trojan.
President Beong-Soo Kim cancelled the debate after national attention and criticism over which candidates were chosen.

On Monday night, less than 24 hours before the California gubernatorial debate hosted by USC and ABC7 was set to take place, President Beong-Soo Kim cancelled it, according to the L.A. Material.
In a statement to the Daily Trojan, the University wrote that the national conversation surrounding the candidate selection criteria caused too much distraction from the topics that voters cared about.
The Daily Trojan reviewed the back and forth between the University, gubernatorial candidates, state politicians and political science professors to summarize what led to the debate’s cancellation.
Below is the rundown of what happened.
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| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USC cancels gubernatorial debate after controversy on exclusion of candidates of color | 0 | 4.84 | 24-03-2026 |
| 2 | Politicians, professors react to criticisms of USC on gubernatorial debate | 0 | 5.63 | 25-03-2026 |
| 3 | Kim says he wished he had more time to deliberate cancelling the governor debate | 0 | 5.46 | 26-03-2026 |
| 4 | Game Day at USC showcases storytelling, representation at the Olympics | 0 | 4.34 | 09-03-2026 |
| 5 | African Senior Fellows visit USC | 0 | 5.99 | 02-04-2026 |
| 6 | SCA, SDA among recent commencement speaker announcements | 0 | 5.74 | 16-04-2026 |
| 7 | Kevin McCarthy recounts his battles with Biden at USC event | 0 | 7.14 | 01-04-2026 |
| 8 | ‘Finally, someone is stepping up’: USC community reacts to Iran strikes | 0 | 7.13 | 10-03-2026 |
| 9 | USG senate forum showcases platforms as elections begin | 0 | 5.29 | 19-02-2026 |
| 10 | USG calls on USC to better include students in cultural celebrations | 0 | 4.87 | 22-04-2026 |