Kiley Leads, Pan Edges Republican to Advance in California’s 6th District Primary

Rep. 2 percent, in California’s 6th Congressional District primary as of Wednesday morning. The Associated Press declared Pan the second-place finisher after 92 percent of the vote was counted.

1 percent. Under California’s jungle primary system, the top two candidates advance to the November 3 runoff unless one candidate wins a majority outright. Kiley, a two-term congressman who represents the 3rd Congressional District, announced in March 2026 that he would run as an independent in the 6th District, where he resides.

The district combines conservative Sacramento suburbs with more liberal areas closer to the state capital. ” Kiley’s Sacramento-area district was reshaped by California’s voter-approved redistricting overhaul last year. He has been one of the loudest critics of the mid-decade map, accusing Democrats of redrawing lines to weaken GOP incumbents.

He has also voiced frustration with House leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, for failing to advance legislation to curb partisan redistricting. Pan, a pediatrician and former state lawmaker, spearheaded California’s effort to eliminate religious exemptions for school vaccine requirements.

He was born in New York and raised in Pittsburgh by parents who emigrated from Taiwan.

Pan graduated with a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University in 1998 and moved to the Sacramento area to accept a faculty position at the University of California, Davis. Pan said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. ’s recommendation to loosen vaccine mandates pushed him to enter the race.

He told CalMatters that he hopes to hold Kiley accountable for supporting Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, citing concerns over federal health care policy. Kiley waited several days to learn who his opponent would be. With the top two finishers now set, the November 3 runoff will feature an independent incumbent against the Democratic former state lawmaker in a district that mixes conservative and liberal voters.