California Congressman Abandons GOP, Will Serve as Independent

California Representative Kevin Kiley announced he's leaving the Republican Party to serve as an independent member of Congress. The two-term lawmaker made the switch as he faces a challenging reelection campaign in a redrawn district that leans Democratic.

WASHINGTON — California Representative Kevin Kiley announced Monday he is abandoning his Republican Party membership and will continue serving in Congress as an independent, effective immediately.

The congressman, now in his second term, is confronting a difficult reelection campaign after California’s congressional map was redrawn. Last Friday, he declared his intention to seek reelection in a district that favors Democrats, choosing not to include any party designation alongside his name on the ballot.

On Monday, Kiley informed reporters he had requested the House clerk update the chamber’s official records to show his new independent status, while noting he plans to continue working with the Republican caucus to keep his committee positions.

“So I will be the sole independent member of the House of Representatives,” Kiley told Politico.

Following Kiley’s departure from the GOP, Republicans now hold a 217-214 advantage in the House, with one independent member. The most recent independent House member was Michigan’s Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party in 2019.

Kiley had been weighing several choices after his district’s borders underwent major changes last year. In recent weeks, he considered whether to challenge Republican colleague Tom McClintock in a safely Republican area or try his luck in a Democratic-favored district centered around Sacramento. He chose the second option and will compete in California’s 6th Congressional District.

Kiley’s situation illustrates how the redistricting battles that started in Texas, encouraged by President Donald Trump, and prompted Democratic retaliation in California, have forced some sitting lawmakers to fight to keep their political futures alive.