"So I will be the sole independent member of the House of Representatives. With Kiley's move, Republicans will have a 217-214 majority in the House, with one independent. The last independent to serve in the House was Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who dropped his Republican affiliation in 2019."
"Kiley had looked at an array of options after his district's boundaries were dramatically changed last year. In recent weeks, he was studying whether to run against fellow Republican Tom McClintock in a Republican stronghold or to take his chance in a Democratic-led district focused in the Sacramento area. He opted for the latter."
"Kiley's predicament is an example of how the redistricting war that began in Texas, at President Donald Trump's urging, and drew a swift counter response from Democrats in California, has left some incumbents scrambling to salvage their political careers."
Rep. Kevin Kiley, a two-term California congressman, changed his party affiliation to independent and will serve as the sole independent member of the House of Representatives. He announced the change after his district was redrawn, creating a Democratic-leaning constituency. Despite becoming independent, Kiley will continue to caucus with Republicans to preserve his committee assignments. This decision reduces the Republican House majority to 217-214 with one independent. Kiley chose to run in California's 6th Congressional District rather than challenge fellow Republican Tom McClintock in a Republican stronghold. His situation reflects broader consequences of redistricting battles initiated in Texas and countered by Democrats in California.
#congressional-redistricting #party-affiliation-change #house-of-representatives #independent-candidacy #electoral-strategy
Read at ABC30 Fresno
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]