U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Rocklin, and former state Sen. Richard Pan survived a crowded primary field and will face off for California’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District.

The two longtime politicians have offered competing visions for the district, while seeking to attack their opponent’s record in office and ties to a political party.

Kiley, who switched from the Republican Party to identify as an independent earlier this year, has highlighted what he describes as bipartisan efforts in Congress and sought to draw a contrast with Pan, whom he says is beholden to Democratic Party leaders.

Pan has pointed to Kiley’s congressional voting record, which has largely aligned with the Republican Party, and argues that it undercuts his newly adopted independent identity and ties him to President Donald Trump.

In a debate hosted by The Sacramento Bee last month, Kiley singled out a 2017 vote by Pan for a transportation package that raised the state gas tax by 12 cents per gallon. Pan fired back by criticizing Kiley’s support of H.R. 1, a sweeping federal policy bill passed last summer which will lead to millions of Americans losing their healthcare coverage.

Kiley and Pan emerged from a June primary filled with several well-known local Democratic candidates. Among the biggest names were Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero and Planned Parenthood leader Lauren Babb Tomlinson.

Republican candidate Michael Stansfield held one of the top two spots in the early results before Pan surged ahead and finished with 23.2% of the vote. Kiley secured 24.3% of the vote.

Where is the district?

The new 6th District spans from Roseville and Rocklin in the north to West Sacramento in the south. Roseville, Citrus Heights, North Highlands, Natomas, North Sacramento and parts of East Sacramento are also within the boundaries.

The new district leaves out downtown and midtown Sacramento. Arden Arcade, Rancho Cordova and other neighborhoods around Mather Airport are no longer in the district.

Who are the candidates?

Kiley, 41, has represented the 3rd Congressional District since 2022. He is seeking re-election in the 6th District after Proposition 50 dramatically reshaped his district into more Democratic-friendly territory. Kiley, who was raised in Granite Bay, attended Harvard University and Yale Law School. He served in the California Legislature for six years and raised his state profile by being a chief critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

According to his website, Kiley has prioritized policies to reduce inflation, increased choice in education and the responsible management of public lands while in the House. Kiley announced in March that he would run as an Independent, which is a departure from his many years as a registered Republican.

Pan, 60, is a former Sacramento lawmaker who served in the California Assembly and Senate from 2012 to 2022. He was best known for passing bills to crack down on school vaccine requirements, but also authored legislation to ban smoking at youth sports and control the prescription drug market. Pan, who is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, is pediatrician and teaches public health at UC Davis. In an interview last year, Pan said wants to push back against the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back access to healthcare and to protect Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies.

His website lists keeping neighborhoods safe, helping families with housing costs and rolling back tariff policies as other priorities.

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