U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley has announced that he will seek reelection to Congress as an independent, marking a significant political shift as the Rocklin lawmaker prepares to leave the Republican Party and run under California’s “No Party Preference” designation in the 2026 election.
Kiley, a two-term congressman first elected to the U.S. House in 2022 after serving in the California State Assembly, said the decision reflects growing frustration with partisan gridlock in Washington and the escalating political battles surrounding congressional redistricting.
“It is no secret I’ve been frustrated, at times disgusted, by the hyper-partisanship in Congress,” Kiley said in a statement announcing the move. “In the last year it’s led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a massive increase in health care costs, and of course, a pointless redistricting war.”
Kiley said he has filed for reelection as “No Party Preference,” meaning he will run as an independent candidate if elected to another term in Congress. In announcing the decision, he sharply criticized both major political parties, accusing them of fueling partisan dysfunction in Washington and manipulating district boundaries for political gain.
“Both parties are complicit in the epidemic of gerrymandering that is tearing apart communities and eroding representative government,” Kiley said. “There’s a way we can fight back and protect our democracy from partisan games — by removing partisanship from the equation.”
The decision represents a dramatic departure from Kiley’s political roots. A longtime Republican who rose through the ranks of California politics as a conservative lawmaker, he has increasingly positioned himself as a centrist voice in recent months, breaking with his party on several high-profile votes and publicly criticizing congressional leadership.
Among those moves, Kiley joined Democrats in voting to terminate tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Canadian imports and has co-authored bipartisan legislation aimed at extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. He has also repeatedly criticized congressional leadership and what he describes as a growing culture of partisan warfare in Washington.
Kiley’s announcement comes amid sweeping changes to California’s congressional map following the voter-approved passage of Proposition 50 in 2025, which reshaped multiple districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The redistricting effort effectively dismantled Kiley’s current 3rd Congressional District, forcing him to seek reelection elsewhere. He previously confirmed he would run in the newly configured 6th Congressional District, which includes communities such as Roseville, Rocklin and Orangevale.
Under the new map, the city of Folsom — which Kiley has represented for nearly a decade through his consecutive service in both the California State Assembly and then most recently in Congress — will no longer fall within his district.
“I was born, raised, and went to local public schools in Placer and Sacramento Counties, which I’ve always called home,” Kiley said when announcing his decision to run in the new district. “They’ve been the core of my district during my time in elected office.”
Kiley has been outspoken in his criticism of mid-cycle redistricting, arguing that the process fractures communities for political advantage. The changes were supported by Democratic leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said the move was a response to similar redistricting efforts in states such as Texas.
“The evil of gerrymandering is that it slices up and tears apart communities in a way that erodes the fabric of representative government,” Kiley said in earlier remarks opposing the changes.
The newly redrawn 6th Congressional District is widely viewed as Democratic-leaning and is expected to become one of Northern California’s most competitive congressional races in 2026.
Kiley acknowledged the challenge but said he believes running as an independent could appeal to voters frustrated with partisan politics.
“While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense,” he said.
The political reshuffle is already affecting other races across the state. Democratic Rep. Ami Bera, who currently represents the 6th District, has announced plans to run in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District, which will now include Folsom and portions of Placer, Sacramento, Nevada and El Dorado counties.
Several candidates have already entered the race for the redrawn 6th District, including former state Sen. Richard Pan, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero and Republican candidate Christine Bish.
Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives with a 218–214 advantage over Democrats, setting the stage for a closely contested midterm election cycle nationwide.
For Folsom voters, the redrawn congressional map marks the end of nearly a decade of representation by Kiley. Beginning with the 2026 election, the city will be part of the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District and will elect new representation as California’s reshaped political landscape takes effect.
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