❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has announced he is leaving the Republican Party to become an independent.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kevin Kiley, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), and the GOP House caucus.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Monday, with changes effective immediately, impacting California’s 6th Congressional District.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Today, I’m asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster.” – Kevin Kiley
🎯IMPACT: Kiley will still caucus with the GOP, leaving the slim House majority unchanged for now.
Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) has announced he is leaving the Republican Party and will run for re-election as an independent. The announcement was made on Monday, with Kiley requesting the change be reflected in the official roster of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Today, I’m asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster,” Kiley stated. Importantly, the California lawmaker clarified that he will continue to caucus with the GOP, ensuring the slim Republican majority in the House remains unaffected for now. The move comes as Kiley prepares to run for reelection under a “No Party Preference” designation in what will be a Democrat-leaning seat after California state Democrat lawmakers redraw congressional lines.
Kiley criticized gerrymandering, calling it “a plague on democracy, one that Gavin Newsom has brought back to California.” Notably, Kiley’s district will be split into six different parts under the new Democrat-drawn map.
The Republican congressman will now run in California’s 6th Congressional District, a Democrat-leaning area, as he continues his campaign for reelection.
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