Kiley loses House reelection bid in California

Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), who left the Republican Party earlier this year over his opposition to gerrymandering, is projected to lose his reelection bid in California’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ .

Democrat Richard Pan, a physician and former state senator, defeated Kiley by nearly 15 percentage points in a district reshaped by California’s redistricting effort, ending the congressman’s two terms in the House.

Kiley conceded the race Wednesday, saying he had congratulated Pan on his victory.

“I spoke with Richard Pan and congratulated him on being elected to represent the 6th District,” Kiley wrote on social media early Wednesday. “I’m proud of our campaign and grateful for the amazing support of so many people. Thank you for believing California is worth fighting for.”

Kiley, who currently represents California’s 3rd Congressional District, became one of the most vocal critics of mid-decade redistricting as Republicans and Democrats moved to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the midterms.

He introduced legislation last year to prohibit the practice nationwide and launched a discharge petition in May to force a House vote on the measure. The effort did not advance.

The redistricting battle escalated after Texas Republicans approved a new congressional map aimed at helping the GOP gain five additional House seats.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) responded by backing Proposition 50, a ballot measure allowing the state to temporarily adopt new congressional boundaries designed to help Democrats, and the measure was approved by voters in November 2025.

Kiley, who was first elected to Congress in 2022 and is a longtime critic of Newsom, opposed the effort, calling gerrymandering a “plague on our democracy” and warned that his existing district would be divided into six pieces.

After the new map was approved, Kiley chose to run in the 6th District, which includes parts of the Sacramento area. The race was an uphill battle for the former Republican, with the nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rating the race as “solid Democratic.”

In March, Kiley announced that he was leaving the GOP to become an Independent, citing his opposition to redistricting efforts in both Republican- and Democratic-led states.

Kiley said in September that he would not caucus with House Republicans in the next Congress if reelected and called for changing House rules that require independents to affiliate with a party caucus in order to receive committee assignments.