Rep. Kiley Leaves GOP to Become Independent

Rep. Kevin Kiley of California announced on Monday that he is leaving the Republican Party to become an independent for the remainder of his term in the U.S. House of Representatives, a move that narrows the GOP's slim majority amid ongoing partisan tensions.

Kiley, a two-term congressman representing California's 3rd Congressional District, informed the House clerk of his decision to change his official party affiliation effective immediately. He had filed for reelection the previous week as having no party preference in the state's newly redrawn 6th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Sacramento County. The switch makes Kiley the sole independent in the House, the first since former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan left the GOP in 2019. With the change, Republicans now hold 217 seats, Democrats 214, and three vacancies remain.

In a call with reporters, Kiley attributed his decision to deep frustrations with hyperpartisanship in Congress, particularly the role of gerrymandering in distorting democracy. "Gerrymandering is a plague on democracy, but there's a way we can fight back and protect our democracy by removing partisanship from the equation," Kiley said in a...