Rep. Kevin Kiley of California announced Monday that he is leaving the Republican Party and registering as an independent, effective immediately. The move further narrows Speaker Mike Johnson’s already slim two-vote majority in the House and adds another complication to an already challenging governing environment.
Kiley said he plans to continue caucusing with Republicans for “administrative purposes.” The California lawmaker did not notify House Republican leadership before first announcing the change on Friday.
He said he later spoke with Johnson over the weekend about remaining aligned with the Republican conference, but the announcement had already reduced the party’s margin in the chamber.
Kiley described his departure as a response to what he characterized as increasing partisanship in Congress and pointed to recent mid-decade redistricting that altered the boundaries of his Republican-leaning district. During a press call Monday, he cited those factors as part of his decision to change his party affiliation.
Since gerrymandering seeks to elevate partisanship above everything else in our politics … the best way to counter gerrymandering and its insidious impacts on democracy is simply to take partisanship out of the equation,” he said.
Asked if would continue supporting GOP priorities, Kiley told Axios: “If you’re talking about just bringing bills to the floor, I think, generally speaking, I’ve been supportive of that.”
He then said: “I can’t commit to do that in each and every case, in advance, I think I’ll have to consider every one on its own merits.
Meanwhile, in the Georgia special election to replace former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican Clay Fuller and Democrat Shawn Harris advanced Tuesday from a crowded field to an April 7 runoff.
In the firmly Republican district in the northwest corner of the state, Fuller, a district attorney, benefited from President Donald Trump’s support. Greene defeated Harris, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general and cattle rancher, in the 14th District general election of 2024.
Election forecasters predicted that neither candidate would secure a majority required to prevent a run-off election on April 7. Fuller, the GOP candidate, secured 35% of the vote while Harris managed 37% with 99% of the votes counted on Tuesday.
That said, Fuller is the favorite going into the runoff in a district that Trump won by 37 percentage points in the 2024 presidential contest.
Trump weighed in after the race was called and shared several posts on Truth Social praising Fuller, arguing that he would be an “excellent” Republican in Congress for the MAGA movement, and urged Republicans to “finish the job” in the April 7th runoff.
“Congratulations to Clay Fuller, of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, on getting such a high percentage of the vote with 12 Republicans running. We want to make the next vote ‘TOO BIG TO RIG.’ Clay will be a GREAT Congressman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! President DJT,” the president wrote on his Truth Social.
All candidates, regardless of party, must appear on the same ballot according to Georgia’s special election regulations.
It was improbable that any of the 22 candidates—17 of whom were Republicans—would receive more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff.
The campaigns of five Republican candidates who were on the ballot have since ended.
A voter NBC News spoke to on Tuesday cited Trump’s support as a factor in the race.
Sarah Umphrey, 77, said she voted for Fuller, adding that Trump’s endorsement was “really important. I like Trump.”
Assuming Republicans hold the seat and win the April 7th runoff, it would give Speaker Mike Johnson more breathing room in the U.S. House, where Republicans have a slim majority.
Fuller has repeatedly said he would be “a warrior for President Trump on Capitol Hill,” but other Republican candidates have also promised to fully support the president’s plans.
