Kevin Kiley said he will not caucus with House Republicans next year if reelected, Rep. Kiley told Semafor at a Wednesday event when asked whether he would formally align with the GOP.
Kiley, who now identifies as an independent, answered, “No. I’m working on changing the rules of the House to get rid of this crazy policy where you have to be formally affiliated with one caucus or the other simply to get committee seats,” according to reporting by The Hill and a Semafor clip of the exchange.
The Hill notes Kiley is currently caucusing with House Republicans but announced in March he would leave the GOP and serve as an independent, filing a letter with the House clerk to change his party identification.
Kiley is running for reelection in California’s 6th Congressional District against Democrat Richard Pan, and The Hill reported the race is seen as risky for him; the piece cites Cook Political Report placing the contest in the Democratic column.
At the Semafor event, Kiley framed his move as an effort to change how committee assignments are allocated rather than an attempt to flip party control, saying the current rules force independents to “conference with one side or the other” for committee purposes, The Hill reported.
Political observers say departures from formal party labels can complicate committee membership and party math in the House. Kiley’s choice to run as an independent shifts the spotlight onto how a single member’s caucus decision affects committee assignments and floor strategy.
For readers tracking broader electoral dynamics, national Democrats are targeting GOP territory this cycle and some members have crossed party lines on key votes, a trend covered in the outlet pool of recent coverage.
Internal coverage of the midterm landscape and party switching offers context for Kiley’s choice: Democrats target GOP territory and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez joined Republicans.
Sources
- The Hill — reported Kiley said he would not caucus with Republicans if reelected, quoted his comments on changing House rules, and noted he left the GOP in March and is running as an independent.
- Semafor (via X) — posted an event clip and summary of the exchange in which Nicholas Wu asked Kiley if he would caucus with Republicans and Kiley said he would not.
