A House lawmaker from deep-blue California is leaving the GOP effective immediately, cutting Republicans' slim margin even thinner, his office confirmed to Fox News Digital on Monday.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., had already announced his intention to run as an Independent candidate in a Democrat-leaning district in the November midterms, but he is now deciding to take on the new political identity early.
"This last week, we registered under no party preference in California," Kiley told local reporters, according to a recording obtained by Fox News Digital. "I'm also today asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster…so I will be the sole Independent member of the House of Representatives."
House Republicans are already dealing with a razor-thin majority of just one vote, which is expected to grow to a two-vote margin after a special election in a deep-red Georgia district this week.
Kiley said he would still caucus with Republicans, however, in order to retain his committee assignments in the House.
"The rules of the House of Representatives essentially force you, as an administrative matter, to caucus with one party or the other, which, by the way, I don't think is a good thing," Kiley said.
"For example, your committee assignments run through the parties, and so it really, you know, forces you to be associated in that administrative sense with one caucus or another in order to function and be able to serve your constituents in the House."
Kiley's decision to run as an Independent comes after his current seat in California's 3rd congressional district was redrawn to lean more heavily toward Democrats.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential White House candidate for the 2028 cycle, led the charge in redrawing the maps to more heavily favor Democrats despite the objections of Golden State Republicans.
It was a direct response to Texas Republicans passing a new congressional map that could give the GOP an edge in as many as five new seats.
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Kiley had introduced legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting when both fights were ongoing and sharply rebuked the effort by both parties.
He also carved out an independent streak months before formally dropping the GOP, becoming one of the party's most vocal critics of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for both refusing to wade into the redistricting fight and for keeping the House out of session during the entire 43-day government shutdown last year.
Kiley announced in a statement last week that he would now run in California's newly redrawn 6th congressional district, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates a "D+5."
"It’s true that I was fully prepared to run in the new 5th, 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 the 5th 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," Kiley said.
"The new 6th district is Democratic-leaning but open-minded. While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense. Thanks to all for your encouragement and patience."
