California’s 6th Congressional District race pits Congressman Kevin Kiley, an Independent, against former state Sen. Dr. Richard Pan, a Democrat.

Kiley, who currently represents the 3rd Congressional District, spoke with ABC10 about some of the biggest issues facing the newly redrawn district, including the cost of living, immigration and the role he would play in Congress if re-elected.

ABC10 also invited Pan to participate in an interview. After repeated attempts over a month, an interview was scheduled but later canceled by Pan’s team. Despite follow-up requests, the team did not reschedule but provided ABC10 with a statement below.

Kiley said his background in the region influenced his decision to run for office.

“I grew up in this area, went to public schools in Placer, in Sacramento County. I actually started out as a high school teacher, and that was a big factor in actually my decision to run for office,” said Kiley.

Kiley won his current congressional seat as a Republican. Following the passage of Proposition 50, he launched his campaign for the newly redrawn 6th District and changed his party affiliation to independent. Kiley said his focus is on lowering the cost of living and working with lawmakers from both parties.

“I plan to oppose policies in both Sacramento and Washington that raise the cost of living and that’s what I’ve done during the time that I’ve been in the house,” said Kiley. At the same time, I wanna work with folks on both sides of the aisle, all sides of any issue, to find common sense solutions to bring down the cost of living.”

Throughout his campaign, Kiley has said he is willing to work with Democrats and Republicans. His critics say his record historically sides with Republicans. Before leaving the GOP, he introduced the “No Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants Act of 2025” and a bill to prevent federal funds from being used on high-speed rail. Kiley said his record includes working with both the Biden and Trump administrations.

“I actually voted for 100% of the bills that were signed into law by President Biden. I worked with the Biden administration to get passed through the House the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which we passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, was signed into law by President Biden to protect Lake Tahoe for generations to come,” said Kiley. “I worked with both the Biden and the Trump administrations to deliver a $22.5 million highway grant, the only such grant in all of California for our district, to address the traffic around the Galleria Mall, so I think you’ll see that I have one of the most, if not the most bipartisan track records of any member of Congress.”

According to CQ Roll Call, Kiley voted with President Donald Trump 94% of the time in 2025. Data shows he voted with President Joe Biden 5% of the time in 2023 and 25% of the time in 2024.

Kiley has also campaigned on lowering the cost of living in California and he plans to vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who has proposed, tax-free income on the first $150,000 and repealing climate mandates. ABC10 asked Kiley on how he plans to address these goals on a federal level. Kiley pointed to his work opposing state policies he said increase costs. He cited California’s mandate that would have banned the sale of all new gas-powered cars in the state.

“I didn’t think that was right. I think that should be up to consumers what they want to drive,” said Kiley.  “I was able, at the federal level in Congress, to get that reversed so that now Californians can continue to drive the car of their choice.”

Pan is a pediatrician and former California state legislator running against Kiley for the 6th District. Over the course of a month, ABC10 scheduled an interview with Pan. His team canceled and never rescheduled. Instead, the team provided ABC10 with a statement:

“Donald Trump endorsed Kevin Kiley for Congress in 2022, calling him a “MAGA Champion.” Now Kiley wants you to think he’s independent, but you can’t rebrand your way out of a record. He’s run as a Republican in all seven of his previous elections, and he still votes with Trump 98% of the time, including supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare, opposing lower prescription drug costs, and backing tax breaks for billionaires paid for by cutting our health care. I became a doctor because I wanted to help people. As a pediatrician, I’ve sat across from parents who are scared they can’t afford their kid’s medicine or their next doctor’s visit. That’s why I fought to expand health care to millions of Californians, cut the cost of insulin, and stood up to anti-vaxxers to keep our kids safe from measles and polio. In Congress, I’ll work every day to bring down the cost of groceries, health care, and housing for working families.”

ABC10 asked Kiley about Pan’s comments on vaccinations and the “MAGA Champion” characterization.

Kiley said vaccinations are important to public health, but criticized Pan’s policies during the COVID-19 era.

“Vaccinations are of course crucial to public health, which is why it’s very unfortunate that Richard Pan,” said Kiley. “With his radical policies, interfered with the ability of families to get their routine vaccinations during the COVID era.”

Kiley later described what he called the danger of Pan’s ideology.

“I think that this is a very clear illustration of the danger, the danger of the radical ideology that someone like Richard Pan brings to the table,” said Kiley.

The Independent Leadership Council recently endorsed Kiley. The organization says it is dedicated to electing independent-minded leaders to Congress who refuse to caucus with either party. Pan has been endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra.

Watch more: 2026 California Congressional Races: ABC10 Interviews the Candidates