*By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer (Jan. 12, 2026)
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, the Republican congressman whose Sacramento-area seat was reshaped by California’s contentious mid-decade redistricting effort, confirmed Monday that he intends to run for re-election in 2026 — but not in all of the newly drawn districts that now cover portions of his current territory.
In a statement shared with local media and supporters this week, Kiley said his existing Third Congressional District has been “sliced into six pieces,” now labeled new Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Under California’s recently approved redistricting plan — set in motion by state lawmakers and voters via Proposition 50 — the current map that favored Republicans has been altered significantly, complicating plans for incumbents like Kiley headed into the 2026 election cycle.
“After many conversations with constituents, I have determined it will not be District 4,” Kiley said in the update, referencing one of the six newly drawn districts that pulls parts of Placer and Yuba counties into a new configuration stretching toward California’s wine country.
Kiley’s disclosure narrows his path forward but stops short of specifying which of the remaining five districts he will choose to contest in 2026. The decision comes as the filing deadline for next year’s primary elections — currently set for March 6 — draws closer.
The congressman said his decision was “truly a painful” one because of deep ties to communities in what is now District 4. “I love these communities and have represented some of them for nine years, between Congress and the Legislature,” he said. “I want to emphasize that I will still represent all of my current constituents for the next year. So please don’t hesitate to be in touch if we can be of service!”
Redistricting Throws California Politics into Flux
California’s mid-decade redistricting was centered on an unprecedented plan that will appear again on the ballot in future cycles, following the passage of Proposition 50 in 2025. That measure allows lawmakers greater influence over congressional maps — a move backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — but pitted state Democrats against Republican lawmakers who warned the plan would displace GOP incumbents and reshape political battlegrounds statewide.
Kiley has been one of the most vocal Republican critics of the redistricting push, calling it “fraud” and accusing Democratic leaders of undermining California’s independent redistricting commission. He also introduced federal legislation aimed at banning mid-decade redistricting nationally, arguing that shifting district lines outside the usual census cycle harms voters’ representation.
“We’ve got to protect representative government,” Kiley said previously in a 2025 press conference on the issue. “I don’t think gerrymandering is a good thing. It’s a problem wherever it occurs, whether it’s in a Republican state or a Democrat state.”
The reshuffling also has drawn interest from Democratic challengers. Former state Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, a Democrat, has already announced his candidacy in California’s reshaped 3rd District, citing policy disagreements with Kiley and a desire to expand health-care protections for Californians.
For El Dorado County residents — whose communities fall within portions of the old and new district lines — Kiley’s announcement ends months of speculation but leaves unanswered questions about where exactly he will mount his reelection bid. With campaigning expected to intensify in the coming weeks, voters and local leaders will be watching closely as the congressman defines his path forward.
