"It's true that I was fully prepared to run in [McClintock's district], having tested the waters and with polls showing a favorable outlook in a 'safe' district. But doing what's easy and what's right are often not the same. And at the end of the day, as much as I love the communities in [that] District that I represent now - and as excited as I was about the new ones - seeking office in a district that doesn't include my hometown didn't feel right."
"After California voters in November passed Proposition 50 - a ballot measure to redraw the state's congressional districts in an effort to counter Trump's moves to increase the numbers of Republicans in Congress - Kiley's district was sliced up into other districts."
Northern California Rep. Kevin Kiley announced he will not challenge fellow Republican Tom McClintock for Congress following redistricting that eliminated Kiley's current district spanning Lake Tahoe to Sacramento. Instead, Kiley will run in a Democratic-leaning Sacramento-area district against former state Sen. Richard Pan. Though Kiley had tested the waters and showed favorable polling in McClintock's safe Republican district, he decided against the intra-party challenge. Kiley stated that running in a district excluding his hometown did not feel right. Trump, California GOP leadership, and the Club for Growth backed McClintock, creating institutional pressure that likely influenced Kiley's decision to avoid the primary fight.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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