Rep. Kevin Kiley of California announced Monday that he pulled out of the Republican Party and is registering as an independent — effective immediately.
Kiley said he will continue caucusing with House Republicans for administrative purposes but won't commit to supporting House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
Kiley's shift narrows Johnson's already slim House majority.
Kiley told reporters he had spoken with Johnson over the weekend about his decision but did not notify Republican leadership before announcing Friday that he would seek reelection without a party affiliation, according to Axios.
Kiley said he plans to run for another term as an independent after California redistricting reshaped his congressional district.
The redrawn boundaries moved him into California's 6th Congressional District, which political analysts consider strongly Democratic.
Kiley was first elected to Congress in 2022 and previously represented California's 3rd Congressional District.
In announcing his reelection bid Friday, Kiley criticized what he described as growing partisanship fueled by redistricting.
"Gerrymandering is a plague on democracy, one that Gavin Newsom has brought back to California," Kiley wrote in a social media post announcing he had filed for reelection as "no party preference."
Kiley said he views his role as representing constituents independently of party leadership.
"I answer to you, not party leaders," he wrote.
Kiley has previously voiced frustration with partisan divisions in Congress and has at times broken with House Republican leadership.
He has voted against several procedural rule votes that often divide along party lines.
Kiley has also criticized the political climate in Washington. "If there is one thing Americans agree on, it is that political division has become a serious problem for our country," he wrote.
Campaign finance filings show Kiley had raised about $2.1 million for his reelection campaign as of 2025.
The Cook Political Report currently rates the district as solidly Democrat.
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