kevin kiley said Monday he is immediately leaving the Republican Party to become an independent, a decision he said he wants reflected on the official House roster. The announcement came in Washington on March 9, 2026, with the update time stamped at 2: 35 PM ET. The shift tightens Speaker Mike Johnson’s narrow majority and raises fresh questions about how procedural votes could break in a closely divided chamber.
What changed in the House, and why it matters now
In a call with reporters Monday, kevin kiley said he is asking the clerk of the U. S. House of Representatives to update the official roster to reflect his new status as an independent. He said 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. ”
The move complicates the vote-count math for Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, because the margin is already thin. With all members present and voting, Johnson can afford to lose one vote, a threshold that becomes more precarious when any member’s reliability is in doubt.
After the switch, Republicans hold 217 seats compared with Democrats’ 214, with three vacancies. Kiley becomes the only independent in the lower chamber.
Kevin Kiley on partisanship, procedural votes, and his talks with Johnson
Pressed on whether his departure should be viewed as a falling out with the Republican Party, kevin kiley said he would “characterize it as my frustration with partisanship itself. ”
He also would not say whether he would be a reliable vote for Johnson during procedural votes, leaving uncertainty around the kinds of close-call moments that often determine whether legislation advances or stalls.
Kiley said he had a brief discussion with Johnson over the weekend about his plans, but he did not provide additional details about the substance of that conversation during the call.
How the reelection decision and district change fit into the break
The party switch follows Kiley’s Friday announcement that he will run in California’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District as an independent. In that announcement, he said “political division has become a serious problem for our country. ”
He laid out a broad critique of what he called “hyper-partisanship in Congress, ” pointing to consequences he associated with the last year in Washington: “the longest government shutdown in U. S. history, a massive increase in healthcare costs, and of course, a pointless redistricting war. ” He also said gerrymandering has spread “from Texas to California to states all across the country, ” adding, “Both parties are complicit. ”
Recent breaks with Republicans that set the stage
Kiley, a two-term congressman, has recently clashed with his party’s direction on several high-profile actions. He criticized Johnson’s handling of the 43-day government shutdown that stretched from October to November.
He also broke with his party to help force a vote on the now-expired Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits at the end of last year. More recently, he helped sink a key procedural vote that would have barred lawmakers from overturning President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs.
What’s next
In the immediate term, the practical test is whether kevin kiley consistently aligns with Republicans on procedural votes while remaining formally independent on the House roster. With the House split at 217 Republicans to 214 Democrats and three vacancies, the next close procedural showdown will show how much Kevin Kiley’s move reshapes Speaker Johnson’s ability to keep the floor moving.
