As poll booths opened for the first round of voting in the special election for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District last Tuesday, the membership squeeze on US House Republicans was already getting very much tighter. Not only has the blue wave that surged in state elections in 2025 continued its momentum into 2026, but a sitting Republican in the US House announced – drum roll – he’s defecting!
That would be Rep Kevin Kiley, who’s currently the member for CA-03. You see, Kev has been redistricted into CA-06, and he’s not liking his chances in the midterms. His redrawn district is looking a lot bluer than he’s used to, which is problematic for Kev, who likes his cushy Congressional seat with its 6-figure salary plus perks.
Up until redistricting, it’s been an undemanding gig for Kev. He’s never been called upon to chair a committee. He’s never written a Bill. Though, in all fairness, it should be noted that he once sponsored legislation that was actually enacted. It was a career highlight for Kev. The legislation? I’m so glad you asked. That would be HR 9124, which renamed a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Auburn, California, as the “Louis A Conter VA Clinic”. That’s it for Kev’s career highlights.
Even Kev is bright enough to realise that it’s not a stellar record to run on in his altered district circumstances. So he hit on a sure-fire solution – he’d change his party designation! He’d ditch the R for an NPP! NPP stands for No Party Preference, which, in Kev’s case, is a colourless, non-entity version of Independent. He’ll have to leave the red hat at home. He could wear beige or grey. They’re pretty much the only colours left for Kev.
How much of an advantage does he gain from his brainwave solution? Let’s see… how many Independent Congressional Reps are there in California? Oh yes, that’s right – NONE! In fact, there wasn’t a single Independent Rep in the US House until Kev changed his designation last week. And it isn’t as though Independents don’t run for House seats; they do, lots of them. They’re just not popular with voters. So much for Kev’s bright idea.
Squeaker Johnson is not happy about the defection from his party conference, even though Kev promised he’d still caucus with the Rs. You see, Kev stopped short of promising to also always vote with the Rs, and that’s a problem for Little Johnson. It narrows his majority margin from 4 to 3.
That’s doable… until you look at the calendar of events for April. April 7 is the special election runoff for Georgia’s 14th district, and at the top of the ballot is Democrat Shawn Harris. Based on the primary results, Harris will need an extra boost to get past his MAGA opponent. He may get it too, with the Middle East war causing sharp increases in fuel costs. That affects gas pump prices, which not only impact private vehicles but also all goods transported by road, including grocery prices. While April 7 is only three weeks away, it’s enough for voters to feel the effects of increasing prices squeezing their budgets.
Nine days later, on April 16, New Jersey CD 11 will hold its special election to replace former Rep Mikie Sherrill, who won her gubernatorial election in 2025. It’s safe to say this very blue district will add another D to the US House of Representatives.
It’s not looking good for Little Johnson. He’s not so much on shaky ground as very watery ground. A blue wave is a-coming!
