Rep. Kevin Kiley and former state Sen. Richard Pan face off Tuesday, Nov. 3, for California's 6th Congressional District seat in a race that could help decide which party controls the U.S. House.
Results are not yet available. Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Check the California Secretary of State's election page for official results.
The redrawn 6th District no longer includes Folsom or El Dorado Hills. Under maps created by Proposition 50, the voter-approved measure that reshaped five Republican-held congressional districts, Folsom moved to the new 3rd District, according to Folsom Times reporting in March. The 6th District now spans Roseville, Rocklin, Citrus Heights, North Highlands, Natomas, North Sacramento, parts of East Sacramento and West Sacramento, according to the Sacramento Bee's voter guide.
For Folsom residents, the shift ends nearly a decade of representation by Kiley at both the state and federal levels, the Folsom Times reported.
The candidates
Kiley, 41, has represented the 3rd Congressional District since 2022. He announced in March that he would leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the 6th District after Prop. 50 reshaped his old district into more Democratic-friendly territory, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Kiley was raised in Granite Bay, attended Harvard University and Yale Law School, and served six years in the California Legislature. According to his campaign website, he has prioritized reducing inflation, expanding education choice and managing public lands, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Pan, 60, served in the California Assembly and Senate from 2012 to 2022, according to the Sacramento Bee. A pediatrician who teaches public health at UC Davis, Pan was best known in the Legislature for passing bills tightening school vaccine requirements. In an interview, Pan said he wants to push back against the Trump administration's efforts to scale back healthcare access and protect Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies, the Sacramento Bee reported.
What's at stake
CalMatters rates the district's partisan lean as "Safe Democratic." Voter registration in the district stands at 39% Democratic, 31% Republican and 22% no party preference, according to CalMatters.
The race is one of several California contests that could determine House control. Democrats need to pick up three seats to take the majority, The 74 reported. Analysts have noted the new California maps could help Democrats secure up to five additional seats, the Folsom Times reported.
Kiley and Pan emerged from a crowded June primary. Kiley finished with 24.3% of the vote and Pan with 23.2%, edging out Republican Michael Stansfield and several well-known Democrats including Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, the Sacramento Bee reported.
How to vote
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the California Secretary of State. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3. Ballots can also be dropped off at secure drop-off locations or county elections offices through Election Day.
