Video Analysis: U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley Announces Run in Sacramento County Based Sixth Congressional District

Kiley's current district had been divided into 6 other seats - he had been opening flirting with a run against fellow GOP Rep. Tom McClintock in the very red Fifth District.

That sound you hear is a collective sigh of relief from a lot of Republicans, with the loudest sigh coming from longtime veteran conservative Congressman Tom McClintock. Less than an hour ago, Congressman Kevin Kiley announced on X that he is seeking re-election in California’s new 6th District, which is mostly in Sacramento County but extends into Placer County, where Kiley lives. CD 6 is the center of his current district, which was carved up into six other districts by master redistricting slicer Democrat Paul Mitchell, in the lines he prepared for the California legislature, and which were ultimately adopted by California voters in November with the passage of Proposition 50.

Kiley had been openly flirting with a run against fellow Republican Tom McClintock in the ruby-red 5th District, which is further south (about 4% of Kiley’s current seat overlaps that one), causing McClintock’s operation to kick it into high gear — impressively garnering the endorsement of President Trump, most local county GOP committees, the California Repubican Party, and the well-heeled conservative superpac, the Club for Growth.

Kiley jumps into a race in a district with a heavy Democratic tilt. Already in the race are several prominent Democrats — West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, and former California state Sen. Richard Pan. A few Republicans were running, but I would expect that they will drop out (even if they cannot formally take their names off of the ballot at this late date - I’m not sure which of them returned papers) since clearly Kiley is best positioned to try and win the seat for the GOP, which will be no easy feat.

For my part, I am very pleased at this outcome, not relishing a divisive “primary” between two friends.

For my paid subcribers there’s a video below the paywall with more thoughts on this breaking news…

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