The Republican Party Continues Eating Its Own

"Kiley will be the newest initiate of Congress's tiny club of independents, which, until this week, consisted of just two senators: Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine. More important, though, the switch represents the latest example of the Republican Party eating its own."

"Kiley's move may have been prompted by short-term expediency, but it fits into a longer-running pattern of the Republican Party becoming less tolerant of free-thinking legislators and Congress as a whole becoming more polarized. Over the past two decades, the GOP's moderate wing has shrunk to the point where most members avoid the term altogether."

Kevin Kiley, a two-term California representative known for criticizing his party's leadership and not reflexively defending the president, announced he would run for reelection as an independent rather than a Republican. This move makes him only the third independent in Congress, joining Senators Bernie Sanders and Angus King. Kiley's decision stems from redistricting that carved up his district into a Democratic-leaning area. Rather than challenge a conservative colleague in a safe Republican seat, he chose to run as an independent in his hometown district, which voted for Kamala Harris by approximately 10 points in 2024. His switch reflects a broader pattern of the Republican Party becoming increasingly intolerant of free-thinking legislators and demonstrates growing congressional polarization over the past two decades.

Read at The Atlantic