California Rep. Kevin Kiley says he's leaving Republican Party and will serve as independent

The two-term congressman faces a pugnacious reelection conflict pursuing the redrawing of the state's legislature boundaries.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Kevin Kiley of California said Monday that he's dropping his Republican Party affiliation and volition service arsenic an independent, a alteration helium said volition instrumentality spot immediately.

The two-term congressman faces a pugnacious reelection conflict pursuing the redrawing of the state's legislature boundaries. On Friday, helium announced helium would beryllium moving successful a Democratic-leaning territory without listing a enactment affiliation adjacent to his name.

Kiley followed that determination up connected Monday by telling reporters that helium was asking the House clerk to bespeak his alteration to autarkic successful the House's authoritative roster, though helium volition inactive caucus with Republicans to support his committee assignments.

"So I volition beryllium the sole autarkic subordinate of the House of Representatives," Politico quoted Kiley arsenic saying.

With Kiley's move, Republicans volition person a 217-214 bulk successful the House, with 1 independent. The past autarkic to service successful the House was Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who dropped his Republican affiliation successful 2019.

Kiley had looked astatine an array of options aft his district's boundaries were dramatically changed past year. In caller weeks, helium was studying whether to tally against chap Republican Tom McClintock successful a Republican stronghold oregon to instrumentality his accidental successful a Democratic-led territory focused successful the Sacramento area. He opted for the second and volition beryllium moving successful the state's 6th Congressional District.

Kiley's predicament is an illustration of however the redistricting warfare that began successful Texas, astatine President Donald Trump's urging, and drew a swift antagonistic effect from Democrats successful California, has near immoderate incumbents scrambling to salvage their governmental careers.