GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley has chosen where to run. It will be a race filled with Democrats

Mathew Miranda, The Sacramento Bee on Mar 2, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rep. Kevin Kiley has chosen to seek reelection in a left-leaning congressional district where he will face off with a crowded field of Democratic contenders.

In a statement Monday morning, Kiley said he will be running in the 6th Congressional District that spans parts of West Sacramento, Natomas, East Sacramento and Citrus Heights, Roseville and Rocklin. Democratic Rep. Ami Bera currently holds the seat, but he has decided to seek reelection in another district. Some political experts have been skeptical of Kiley’s chances in this district.

“The new 6th District is Democratic-leaning but open-minded,” Kiley, 41, said in a written statement Monday morning. “While this will be a more challenging race, I believe we can build a winning coalition for common sense.”

Kiley’s announcement follows months of deliberation over his political future after Proposition 50 redrew the state’s congressional map in an effort to oust him and other Republicans. Kiley, who unsuccessfully pleaded with his party to stop mid-decade redistricting, was left with a district that has leaned heavily Democratic in recent elections.

In recent weeks, Kiley had publicly narrowed down his choices to the 5th and 6th districts.

A run in the 5th District would have pitted him against Republican incumbent Tom McClintock, who has the backing of President Donald Trump. In his statement, Kiley said he was “fully prepared” to run in the 5th District with polls showing a “favorable outlook.”

“But doing what’s easy and what’s right are often not the same,” Kiley said. “And at the end of the day, as much as I love the communities in the 5th District that I represent now — and as excited as I was about the new ones — seeking office in a district that doesn’t include my hometown didn’t feel right.”

Kiley’s decision cements him as the most high-profile Republican candidate in the 6th District race. Other Republican candidates include Craig Deluz, Christine Bish and Raymond Riehle.

The Democratic contenders are more well-known. Among the candidates are West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, former California state Sen. Richard Pan and Planned Parenthood leader Lauren Babb Tomlinson.

Kiley, who was raised in Granite Bay, attended Harvard University and Yale Law School. He previously served in the California Legislature and raised his state profile by leading the failed attempt to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. Over the last year, he has emerged in the last year as one of the few House Republicans willing to break with GOP leadership.

_____