The Forward Party is supporting independent U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley in his reelection bid for California’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District, backing the former Republican for being what it calls a “rare voice” in the House willing to call out partisan dysfunction.
The Forward Party announced its endorsement last week, backing Kiley as an example of a candidate it says is willing to put constituents ahead of party loyalty. The party remarked that Kiley is currently the only sitting independent member of the House, with Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath saying he demonstrated “real and substantive courage” in leaving the Republican Party earlier this year.
“His foresight in stepping out to run as an independent is exactly the type of leadership we need to help establish an independent governing fulcrum in Congress,” Drath said, adding that Kiley has also pledged to help change House rules to make it easier for independents to serve in Congress.
Kiley was first elected to represent California’s 3rd Congressional District as a Republican in 2022 and was then reelected in 2024. Prior to joining Congress, he served in the California State Assembly and was also a candidate in the state’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election.
Kiley left the Republican Party this past March, announcing that he would seek reelection under California’s No Party Preference designation. His decision also coincided with the redrawing of California’s congressional districts, which placed him in the new 6th District rather than the 3rd District he currently represents.
At the time, he attributed his decision to partisan mid-decade redistricting in California and other states, as well as what he called growing hyper-partisanship within Congress. Kiley later changed his House registration to independent, though he has continued to caucus with Republicans.
“I’m honored to have earned the support of the only Independent Party in the state of California,” Kiley said upon receiving the endorsement. “My campaign is about putting people ahead of party bosses and their special interest patrons. Together, we’ll carry the message for change and reform all the way to Washington, DC and build a new Congress that works for you.”
The Forward Party also praised Kiley’s work in the California State Assembly, specifically referencing legislation concerning artificial intelligence, privacy, and criminal justice reform. It said he demonstrated a willingness to tackle “emerging issues ahead of most of his colleagues” in the legislature and pointed to his work in Congress on the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act as an example of such an approach.
It further called its endorsement of Kiley another example of its “Fulcrum Strategy,” an effort to elect a bloc of lawmakers willing to buck major party leadership and act independently on what it calls “consequential votes.” The Forward Party has also endorsed independent U.S. House candidates in Iowa, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin this cycle.
Kiley will appear on the general election ballot this November after finishing first in the state’s June top-two primary with 47,165 votes, or 24.3 percent. He will face Democrat Richard Pan, a former state senator who placed closely behind Kiley in a field of seven candidates.
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