Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) announced Monday that his decision to leave the Republican Party and register as an Independent will take effect immediately.
Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) two-vote majority just got even smaller.
- Kiley said he will still caucus with Republicans for "administrative purposes" but noted that he's been a less-than-reliable vote for Johnson even as a Republican.
- The California Republican did not give leadership a heads-up before announcing Friday that he was leaving the party, but he said he did speak with Johnson over the weekend about continuing to caucus with the conference.
The big picture: Kiley's move comes after mid-decade redistricting dismantled his Republican-leaning district, forcing him to run in far more Democratic territory.
- He framed the switch as a response to partisanship fueled by gerrymandering.
- "Since gerrymandering seeks to elevate partisanship above everything else in our politics … the best way to counter gerrymandering and its insidious impacts on democracy is simply to take partisanship out of the equation," Kiley said on a Monday press call.
The intrigue: Kiley stopped short of promising he'll be a reliable vote for Johnson.
- "I don't know if he would tell you I have been so far," Kiley told Axios.
- He noted he has already voted against several rule votes — procedural measures that typically fall along party lines.
- "If you're talking about just bringing bills to the floor, I think, generally speaking, I've been supportive of that," he added, "I can't commit to do that in each and every case, in advance, I think I'll have to consider every one on its own merits."
Zoom in: Kiley is facing a large field of rivals in both parties to represent California's 6th District, including Democrats Richard Pan and Thien Ho.
- Kiley is easily the most well-funded candidate in the race, with nearly $2.1 million in fundraising receipts as of the end of 2025 compared to Ho's $380,000 and Pan's $320,000.
