Mike Murphy, a co-director of the USC center hosting the debate, has been voluntarily advising an independent expenditure committee backing Mahan. USC has also received tens of millions of dollars in donations from billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso and his wife. Advertisement“Every one of these eight [Democratic candidates] is capable of running the state of California,” he said. Gavin Newsom would have an edge as the next Democratic nominee for president if California Democratic voters had the final say now, according to a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll. … I think they recognize that there were problems with the way this debate had been organized.”Becerra said he reviewed the formula and has “never seen” debate criteria like it before during his decades of serving in elected office.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 22, 2026 02:57 UTC