Calif. Rep. Kevin Kiley leaves GOP, becoming only Independent in the House

U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley questions former Special Counsel Jack Smith as he testifies during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.

California Rep. Kevin Kiley announced on Monday that he is officially leaving the Republican Party and switching his affiliation to Independent, making him the sole Independent in the U.S. House of Representatives.

 During virtual calls with reporters, Kiley (Calif.-03) confirmed he would submit the necessary paperwork to the House Clerk that day to formalize the change. He cited deep frustration with rising partisanship in Congress as a key reason for the shift.

The move follows Kiley’s announcement last Friday that he had filed for reelection in the newly redrawn California’s 6^th Congressional District as a “No Party Preference” candidate.

He reportedly plans to continue caucusing with Republicans for the remainder of his current term to maintain committee assignments and administrative support, though the switch formally narrows the GOP’s already slim House majority.

 

This enables him to continue to keep his positions on committees, if leadership allows, according to The Hill.

“As an elected representative, I’ve always seen my role as being an independent voice for our community, holding politicians in Sacramento and Washington accountable,” he said, emphasizing his accountability to constituents rather than party leaders.

“It is no secret I’ve been frustrated, at times disgusted, by the hyper-partisanship in Congress,” he continued, citing last year’s government shutdown, increase in healthcare costs, and “a pointless redistricting war.”

 

Regarding future legislation, he stated he intends to evaluate every bill on its own merits. CBS News highlighted that the lawmaker has a history of breaking party lines on specific issues.

Gerrymandering is a plague on democracy, one that Gavin Newsom has brought back to California. But there’s a way we can fight back and protect our democracy from his partisan games: by removing partisanship from the equation. Today, I filed for reelection as “No Party… pic.twitter.com/OhGDzKtPEp

— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) March 7, 2026