6 CA Gubernatorial Candidates To Face Off In USC Town Hall

LOS ANGELES – All six candidates vying to become the next governor of California will face off for the first time during an upcoming town hall meeting on Saturday, January 13, 2018 at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas announced Thursday.

State Assemblyman Travis Allen, State Treasurer John Chiang, attorney John Cox, former state Superintendent of Schools Delaine Eastin, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will attend the 90- minute town hall meeting, called "Empowering California: A Local Perspective."

The event will be hosted by the Empowerment Congress, Ridley-Thomas, and the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC. The town hall will be open to the public, streamed live on the internet and broadcast live on public radio.

"This is an opportunity for voters to see and hear first-hand how the candidates intend to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing California and, specifically, Los Angeles County," Ridley-Thomas said. "Our state's future is at stake, and people deserve to learn about potential policies that will likely affect them for years to come."

ABC7 Eyewitness News anchor Marc Brown will serve as moderator, while KPCC senior political reporter Mary Plummer also will sit on the panel and focus on concerns raised by voters. ABC7 and KPCC are media partners for the event and both will provide a live stream.

"In a time of political turmoil, there is no more fitting way to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day than to engage in a spirited yet civil discussion of the great issues facing California," said Robert Shrum, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC.

The event is free, but register here to attend.

• ALSO SEE: L.A. County Ranks No. 2 In U.S. For Most Homeless: HUD

--City News Service and Susan C. Schena contributed to this post/Images courtesy of Mark Ridley-Thomas on Facebook