California House Republican Drops Party, Runs as Independent

California Rep. Kevin Kiley is ditching the Republican Party to run for re-election as a “no party preference” candidate, days after he announced plans to campaign in a Democratic-leaning district.

The switch to running as an independent is the latest effort by Republicans to adapt to a newly drawn congressional map approved by California voters last year that is squeezing GOP candidates into fewer safe seats.

The congressman, first elected 2022, cast the change as a rebuke of partisanship and gerrymandering.

“It is no secret I’ve been frustrated, at times disgusted, by the hyper-partisanship in Congress,” Kiley said in a ...