Rep. Kevin Kiley Leaves GOP

Rep. Kevin Kiley of California has announced he is leaving the Republican Party to become an independent but will continue caucusing with Republicans for administrative purposes like committee assignments. This move reduces Speaker Mike Johnson's already slim House majority from one vote to zero.

The two-term congressman cited frustration with partisanship and concerns about gerrymandering as his primary reasons for leaving the GOP. Kiley has been critical of Johnson's handling of recent issues, including a 43-day government shutdown and redistricting wars across the country. He plans to run as an independent in California's newly redrawn 6th congressional district this November.

Kiley had already announced his intention to run as an independent candidate before officially leaving the GOP. His decision comes after his current seat was redrawn to lean more heavily toward Democrats, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The newly redrawn 6th District is expected to be competitive with Democrats such as Richard Pan and Thien Ho vying for it.

The House has been operating with 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats, meaning Johnson could only afford a single defection on party-line votes. With Kiley's switch, the new count is 217 Republicans to 214 Democrats, with three vacancies. Kiley is now the sole independent in the lower chamber.

Kiley said he had a brief discussion with Johnson over the weekend about his plans but made his decision without input from either party's leadership. He also introduced legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting nationwide, citing concerns about gerrymandering across the country. Kiley noted that despite his plans to caucus with the GOP for committee assignments, he won't necessarily be a reliable vote for House Speaker Mike Johnson.