California Rep Kevin Kiley ditches GOP to become independent

Rep Kevin Kiley, who serves California’s 3rd Congressional District, announced on Monday that he is leaving the Republican Party and registering as an independent, effective immediately.

Kiley announced on Friday that he is running for California’s 6th District and will be running as "no party preference" in the election. Kiley told reporters on a Monday call, "I'm also today asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster," over CBS News.

Kiley told reporters that he plans to caucus with the Republican Party for "the remainder of this term," adding, "That is how I was elected to begin this term."

In his Friday announcement, Kiley said the "no party preference" filing in California’s election "means I will not have a party affiliation on the ballot or as an officeholder. That’s how it already is with most offices in our state: mayors, city councilors, school board members, county supervisors, sheriffs, and DAs are all nonpartisan."

He later added, "It is no secret I’ve been frustrated, at times disgusted, by the hyper-partisanship in Congress. In the last year it’s led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, a massive increase in healthcare costs, and of course, a pointless redistricting war. The epidemic of gerrymandering has spread from Texas to California to states all across the country. Both parties are complicit.

"If there is one thing Americans agree on, it is that political division has become a serious problem for our country. We need to find ways for politics to bring us together as Americans rather than tear us apart as partisans. That means, for example, finding pragmatic solutions to make life more affordable rather than each side blaming the other for why it isn’t."

Kiley will be the House’s only independent representative. His switch brings the makeup of the chamber to 217 GOP seats, 214 Democrat seats, and three vacancies.