Kevin Kiley is a two-term U.S. representative who currently represents California's 3rd Congressional District and is running for re-election in the newly redrawn 6th District. A former Republican who switched to No Party Preference in March 2026, he is the House's only independent while continuing to caucus with Republicans to retain committee assignments, and he has said he is working to change House rules that tie committee seats to party caucuses. He emphasizes nonpartisan leadership focused on cost-of-living and public safety, opposes Proposition 40, and holds a significant campaign cash advantage over Democrat Richard Pan, with roughly $2.1 million on hand.
Kiley says rising healthcare costs are a political failure and supports bipartisan measures to lower families’ costs and improve care, including the Fix It Act, which he introduced with Democratic Rep. Sam Liccardo. In July 2026, he also joined other California lawmakers in urging HHS to block California’s managed-care-organization (MCO) healthcare tax, arguing it could increase healthcare costs.
Kiley supports pro-growth tax policies and tax relief for businesses, arguing they increase investment, hiring, and job creation, and he has made support for small businesses and family-sustaining jobs a priority. He introduced H.R. 7619, the Keep Jobs in California Act of 2026, which would bar states from imposing retroactive taxes on assets of former residents; he framed the measure as a response to California’s proposed wealth tax and its potential effect on job creators. More recently, as chair of a House Education and Workforce subcommittee, Kiley said that supporting child care strengthens the workforce, improves productivity, and fuels local economic growth, adding that effective child care enables parents to work and businesses to grow. This indicates he treats child-care availability and state-led, flexible solutions as economic and workforce priorities.
Kiley supports expanding biomass energy and forest-management incentives, including legislation proposing a 30% tax credit for constructing biomass facilities and access to an existing biomass-energy tax credit. He opposes government mandates pushing consumers toward electric vehicles, including California’s zero-emission vehicle and truck mandates, which he has sought to overturn.
Kevin Kiley's record indicates opposition to abortion-rights protections and support for abortion restrictions. He voted for final passage of H.R. 21, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and during his 2022 congressional campaign he said he would "fight for pro-life policies" and called the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade "the appropriate decision from a constitutional point of view." These reflect his stated positions and legislative record; his 2026 CA-06 campaign materials do not publish a detailed abortion platform.
Kiley supports increased border security and introduced the Freedom to Cooperate Act, which would allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities notwithstanding California’s sanctuary-state law. He voted against the June 2026 Secure America Act, saying it lacked bipartisan interior-enforcement reforms including body cameras, warrants, and protections around schools; he voted to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haitians in April 2026 and voted to advance the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act (H.R. 9773) in July 2026.
On July 14, 2026, Kevin Kiley voted for H.R. 1181, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, which would prohibit financial institutions from using merchant-category codes specific to gun retailers. This vote indicates support for preventing the tracking of lawful firearm-retailer purchases, but it does not establish a comprehensive position on all firearms legislation or Second Amendment issues.
Kiley has supported U.S. assistance to Ukraine and measures imposing costs on Russia: he signed a discharge petition to bring the Ukraine Support Act to the House floor and voted for the June 4, 2026 package authorizing military aid to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. He opposed the July 22, 2026 House budget proposal that included funding for the Iran war, saying war funding should be bipartisan and that Congress should have a much higher level of involvement in bringing the war to an end.
Kevin Kiley has supported restricting transgender students’ rights in federally funded schools. Congress.gov lists him as a cosponsor of H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, which would require parental consent before schools change a student’s gender markers, pronouns, preferred name, or sex-based accommodations. This documents opposition to expanding federal LGBTQ+ protections in K-12 education, but does not establish a broader position on all civil-rights and equality issues.
Kiley emphasizes protecting access to early-childhood education and related family services. On September 1, 2026, he urged the HHS secretary to protect Head Start access, describing its early education, health, nutrition, and family-support services as important to children and families; in his role chairing the House subcommittee, he has also highlighted state-led child-care solutions and argued that innovation in child care supports the workforce. His broader position remains support for reforming and refocusing the Department of Education rather than eliminating its core K-12 functions, with education primarily administered by states and localities.
Kevin Kiley has emphasized that AI can support K-12 educators by analyzing student performance, creating lesson plans, personalizing instruction, and reducing administrative burdens. He has also highlighted risks involving cheating and academic integrity and the need for teacher training and guidance; separately, he sponsored the Ensuring Safe and Ethical AI Development Through SAFE AI Research Grants Act (H.R. 6402), indicating support for federally funded research into safe and ethical AI development.
Kiley voted against the July 22, 2026 House fiscal 2027 budget resolution, which included instructions for election-law measures associated with stricter voter-identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements; that vote does not by itself establish his position on each election provision. Separate vote-tracking reports identify Kiley as voting for H.R. 7296, the SAVE America Act, on February 11, 2026, which would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and specified photo identification for federal elections. The available evidence therefore indicates support for the SAVE Act's proof-of-citizenship and voter-identification requirements, alongside opposition to the broader July budget package.
Kiley prioritizes lowering the cost of living, improving public safety, supporting K-12 education, and expanding local infrastructure. He specifically cites reducing gas, electricity, water, housing, and grocery costs; securing federal funding for local law enforcement; and obtaining funding for road projects to relieve traffic in California’s 6th District.
Kiley says rising healthcare costs are a political failure and supports bipartisan measures to lower families’ costs and improve care, including the Fix It Act, which he introduced with Democratic Rep. Sam Liccardo. In July 2026, he also joined other California lawmakers in urging HHS to block California’s managed-care-organization (MCO) healthcare tax, arguing it could increase healthcare costs.
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Background
Career History
U.S. Representative2023 – Present
U.S. House of Representatives (California's 3rd District)
Elected in 2022 as a Republican; left the party in March 2026 to become the House's only independent while remaining in the House Republican Conference. His committee assignments were vacated on March 18, 2026, and restored on April 16, 2026; he chairs the Education and Workforce subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Member, California State Assembly2016 – 2022
California State Assembly (District 6)
Represented the 6th Assembly District in Placer County; ran as a candidate in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election.
Deputy Attorney General2015 – 2016
California Department of Justice
Prosecutor and deputy attorney general; helped prosecute the civil case against Huawei Technologies for intellectual property theft.
High School English Teacher
Los Angeles-area public schools
Taught 10th grade English and chaired the English department before attending law school.
Attorney2012 – 2015
Irell & Manella LLP
Worked at the Los Angeles law firm, where he helped prepare an intellectual property theft case for T-Mobile against Huawei that became the basis for a federal criminal investigation.
Education
Harvard UniversityBachelor of Arts in Social Studies (2007)
Yale Law SchoolJuris Doctor (2012)
Loyola Marymount UniversityMaster of Arts in Secondary Education (2009)
Top Donors
Raised approximately $3.0 million through June 30, 2026 FEC filings, with $1.88 million from individual contributors and $356,391 from committee contributions, plus $744,576 transferred from other authorized committees. Holds a significant cash-on-hand advantage at $2.12 million. Republican-aligned PACs have continued funding his campaign after his switch to No Party Preference, per Sacramento Bee reporting.
Incumbent U.S. Representative since January 2023, currently the only independent in the House while caucusing with Republicans. Has voted with Trump-aligned positions approximately 98% of the time, according to analyses cited by the Pan campaign. Key 2026 votes include voting against the FY2027 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 113) and against the Secure America Act (S. 2), while voting for H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, which failed on passage. He has missed only 14 of 1,886 roll call votes (0.7%) since taking office.