In a stunning mid-term move, a Republican congressman walks out on the GOP, dealing a major blow to Mike Johnson

California Representative Kevin Kiley announced that he is immediately leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. This move complicates House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s already razor-thin majority.

According to CBS News, Kiley confirmed his decision in a call with reporters, saying he has asked the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to officially update his status on the roster. With Kiley’s departure, the House now has 217 Republicans, 214 Democrats, and three vacancies, making Kiley the only independent in the lower chamber.

This means Speaker Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, can now only afford to lose one vote on any given measure if all members are present and voting. Kiley did say he plans to caucus with the Republican Party for the rest of this term, since that is how he was elected. However, he stopped short of committing to be a reliable vote for Johnson on procedural votes, which are often critical for passing legislation.

Kiley’s frustration with partisanship has been building for a long time

When asked if this signaled a falling out with the Republican Party, Kiley called it “my frustration with partisanship itself.” He had previously announced his plan to run as an independent in California’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District, saying that “political division has become a serious problem for our country.”

The two-term congressman has been openly critical of hyper-partisanship in Congress. He pointed to several issues behind his frustration, including the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 43 days from October to November. 

He also cited a massive increase in healthcare costs and what he called a “pointless redistricting war,” noting that the “epidemic of gerrymandering has spread from Texas to California to states all across the country,” with both parties being responsible.

This is not the first time Kiley has broken with his party. He was openly critical of Speaker Johnson’s handling of the lengthy government shutdown. It is worth noting that centrist Republicans have previously sided with Democrats to push back against Johnson’s leadership, showing that Kiley is not alone in his discontent. 

He also broke with Republicans to help force a vote on the now-expired Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits at the end of last year. More recently, Kiley played a role in sinking a key procedural vote that would have stopped lawmakers from overturning President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. Kiley mentioned having a brief discussion with Johnson over the weekend about his plans, but the details of that conversation were not shared.

With Kiley now acting independently and refusing to guarantee his vote on procedural matters, the path forward for the Republican agenda has become significantly harder. Johnson, who has long feared losing his grip on the House majority, now faces an even more unpredictable caucus heading into a critical legislative period.