Can you say Speaker Hakeem Jeffries
California House Republican announces he's leaving GOP immediately, thinning slim majority
Rep Kevin Kiley said he will still caucus with the GOP
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published March 9, 2026 3:37pm EDT
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.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-house-republican-announces-hes-leaving-gop-immediately-thinning-slim-majority
