California congressman slams nation's 'gerrymandering war'

By Chris Woodward
The Center Square

A California member of Congress opposes what he calls the "gerrymandering war" that has broken out across the country.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon during a media call, U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Rocklin, said gerrymandering is wrong in blue or red states.

“I have opposed these mid-decade redraws in every state where they've occurred, whether that's Texas; whether it's California; whether it's Indiana, which ultimately rejected it; now Virginia and Florida,” said Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans.

“I think it's very odd that you see the same politicians who condemn gerrymandering in one state are suddenly celebrating it in another state," Kiley said during a video conference with reporters.

'This whole thing has been incredibly damaging for democracy and representation” in the United States, Kiley said.

“I think this is the time for Congress to take responsibility for its own elections,” the representative continued. “We need legislation to prohibit mid-decade redistricting, and I'm working on legislation for Congress to assure that voters in all states have fair representation by putting congressional districts into the hands of independent commissions going forward, modeled on the system that we did have in California.”

Kiley was a Republican member of the House until March, when he announced he would be changing to an independent.

News reports at the time said that congressional redistricting was a factor in that decision. Kiley was one of five Republicans at risk of losing their seats.

The Center Square asked for confirmation of the reason in Wednesday’s call.

“Well, the reason for my change is because I think partisanship has gotten out of control in Congress, and it’s really doing great damage to our country. And, of course, the redistricting war is a very clear manifestation of that,” Kiley told The Center Square. “It has taken partisanship to new levels. It has said we're going to elevate partisanship above everything else in our politics, and so I do think that a good antidote to this plague of gerrymandering is just to say, ‘Let's take partisanship out of the equation.' ”

Kiley also said this reflects the way he has always approached his job, which is to be “an independent voice” for his district to answer to my constituents, not to party leaders in Washington or Sacramento.

Before his election to Congress in 2022, Kiley served in the California State Assembly for six years. Before that, Kiley worked as an English teacher at Manual Arts High School in inner-city Los Angeles.