Plans for a forum to replace the canceled USC governor’s debate are falling apart

The proposed administration forum convened quickly in the hours after USC canceled its Tuesday debate that collapsed because people of color who were excluded from the previously scheduled event could not show up in person at the KNBC-TV studio in Universal City, according to multiple sources.

Facing mounting pressure that its debate selection process is not inclusive of all candidates of color, the university canceled its debate late Monday. On Tuesday morning, billionaire Tom Steyer – a Democrat – proposed to hold another trial, hosted by KNBC. But the people who weren’t invited to the USC interview had other commitments.

“A lot of this is out of the blue — there’s a debate and you’re not invited, followed by no debate, and maybe we should all sit down and talk,” said Kyle Layman, a strategist who advised former US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

USC officials declined to comment on Tuesday’s development — as did KABC-TV, one of the broadcast partners of the canceled debate. KNBC did not respond to a request for comment, but someone involved in planning a potential debate there said putting together such an event in just a few hours was impossible, and unfair to the candidates who made other plans after being pulled out of the USC debate.

“We looked at the possibility of doing something. It didn’t happen because of last-minute work plans. It wasn’t possible,” said the person, who asked to remain anonymous. “We couldn’t get everyone here.”

The fact that the candidates included in the USC debate could not find a way to participate in a separate forum on Tuesday evening upset some people involved in the programs. Becerra, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former county manager Betty Yee protested not being invited to the USC event.

“This is like one of the last chances they have to have some of the best competitors in this race, so why don’t they take advantage of this opportunity?” said one participant in discussions about the proposed last-minute debate, who asked not to be identified to speak freely. “If everything is about getting your message to the voters, making sure the voters have as much information as possible, talking about important things, don’t you want to use every opportunity to do that?

“If you’re going to talk a big game about getting your message to voters, the importance of debate, why not do it?” This person said.

Becerra, Thurmond, Villaraigosa and Yee reportedly made an informal agreement not to participate in any debate that does not include all of them, which Yee addressed at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“The idea that there’s no one candidate for the debate is not appropriate for a state like California,” Yee said. “We also need a commitment from all the sponsors of the debate that they will take us all forward.”

Yee and Thurmond were not invited to the next major televised debate, which will take place on April 1 at Fresno State University. Becerra and Villaraigosa have confirmed that they will be there, according to news from the Western Growers Assn., one of the sponsors of the event.

And all four candidates of color, along with San José Mayor Matt Mahan, were not invited to an April 22 debate in San Francisco that will be hosted by KRON-TV and broadcast on Nexstar Media Group stations throughout California.

“We don’t need security guards,” Mahan said in a statement Tuesday evening. “I’m asking my colleagues to work together to organize our own debates – to take our ideas for a better California to all of California. Let’s let the voters decide honestly.”

USC’s canceled debate will be hosted by the Dornsife Center for the Political Future and sponsored by KABC and Univision. Six people were invited to participate: Democrats Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin), former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter, Mahan and Steyer; and leading Republicans, conservative analyst Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Candidates and elected officials have called the methods used to decide whether to participate in the debate partisan because it includes Mahan, a white man who votes near the bottom of the pack but has the support of notable names in the USC community. Hours after the debate was canceled, Steyer’s campaign wanted to create another event that would bring together all the candidates.

“We were trying to do the right thing when we found out that the debate was canceled at USC,” said a member of Steyer’s campaign who asked not to be named. “Tom just said, ‘We can do something else.’ People want to hear about the gubernatorial candidates. It was on the table. It was given.

“NBC couldn’t find all the candidates here, but we tried,” said the person. “Because of the short time we were trying to put this together, in the end it didn’t happen because not everyone would join the studio.”

Thurmond, who was in Sacramento and Richmond on Tuesday, joined a political campaigner on YouTube Tuesday evening, while Yee attended previously scheduled events with East Area Progressive Democrats and a women’s group in the LA area. Villaraigosa had scheduled more interviews at his Wilshire campaign office, Becerra was traveling, and Porter was scheduled to host a live stream on his Instagram account Tuesday evening.