U.S. House, California 6th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in California's 6th Congressional District?
Kevin Kiley has the strongest record in California's 6th Congressional District. Kevin Kiley scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Richard Pan at 65, as of October 9, 2026. Kevin Kiley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Richard Pan's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
No Party Preference · incumbent
Strongest record
Kevin Kiley
71 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 55
- Qualifications
- 85
- Performance
- 75
Democratic
Richard Pan
65 / 100
Public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Kevin Kiley
- On the record2026-03-07
Filed for reelection as a No Party Preference candidate and changed his voter registration from Republican, without notifying party leaders in Washington.
- On the record2026-02
In February 2026 voted against a House rule barring tariff disapproval votes, which failed 217 to 214, and was one of six Republicans who voted to rescind tariffs on Canada.
Sources: NOTUS, February 2026, Associated Press (via WDIV ClickOnDetroit), Feb. 27, 2026
- On the record2026-03-18
His House committee seats were vacated automatically on March 18, 2026 after he left the Republican Party; on April 16, 2026 he announced he was reinstated, including his subcommittee chair.
Sources: NOTUS, March 18, 2026, E&E News (POLITICO), March 19, 2026, Rural County Representatives of California, April 17, 2026, Office site, April 16, 2026
- On the record2023-12-01
Voted twice in 2023 to expel Rep. George Santos, which Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Steve Scalise opposed; the December 1 vote passed.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 691, 2023
- On the record2021-05-05
With Assemblyman James Gallagher, sued Gov. Newsom in 2020 over pandemic emergency orders; a Sutter County judge ruled for them, and the Third District Court of Appeal reversed in May 2021.
Sources: KQED, May 2021, KEYT (AP), May 2021
- Credit2026-06-15
The Congressional Management Foundation named his office a 2026 Democracy Award winner for Best of Constituent Service.
Sources: Congressional Management Foundation, June 2026, Moonshine Ink, July 2026
Richard Pan
- On the record2015
Wrote California's school vaccine requirement laws, a record CalMatters describes as famous or infamous depending on who tells it.
Source: CalMatters, September 2026
- Credit2022
Rated Meets expectations by the Center for Effective Lawmaking state file for 2021 to 2022, with 17 of 40 sponsored bills becoming law.
Source: CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Senate 2021 to 2022
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Kevin Kiley. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed July 28, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081361, House Committee on Ethics site search for Kiley, FEC administrative fines search
Richard Pan. House candidate financial disclosure filed Aug. 12, 2026, and campaign reports are on file with the FEC. No FEC administrative fine or FPPC penalty naming him found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081386, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Kevin Kiley. Voted twice in 2023 to expel Rep. George Santos when Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise voted Nay, and in March 2026 left the Republican Party to register No Party Preference without notifying party leaders.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 691, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 564, 2023, Mountain Messenger, March 10, 2026
Richard Pan. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Kevin Kiley. Debated Pan on Aug. 17, 2026 in a Sacramento Bee debate and has called for five district debates; his campaign lists a series of community conversation events in 2026.
Sources: The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 20, 2026 (debate video page), Campaign site, home page
Richard Pan. Debated Kiley on Aug. 17, 2026 in a Sacramento Bee debate. Had not committed to Kiley's proposed five debates as of July 2026.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 20, 2026 (debate video page)
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Kevin Kiley. Former teacher, lawyer and deputy attorney general, in the Assembly from 2016 to 2022 and the House since 2023. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kevin Kiley, House Committee on Ethics site search for Kiley
Richard Pan. Pediatrician and UC Davis associate professor who served in the Legislature from 2010 to 2022. No censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Richard Pan, Mountain Messenger, Oct. 20, 2025
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Kevin Kiley. Served as a deputy attorney general and has held sworn state and federal office since 2016. Took his House seat in January 2023, after the 2021 electoral count; no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Kevin Kiley
Richard Pan. Held sworn state office in the Assembly and Senate from 2010 to 2022. No official finding of misuse of office and no action against certified results found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Kevin Kiley. In the U.S. House since January 2023 and in the Assembly from 2016 to 2022, two or more legislative terms.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Kevin Kiley, CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Assembly 2021 to 2022
Richard Pan. State senator from 2014 to 2022 after serving in the Assembly, more than two terms in the Legislature.
Sources: Mountain Messenger, Oct. 20, 2025, CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Senate 2021 to 2022
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Kevin Kiley. Chairs the Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education and serves on Judiciary and Transportation; gave CalMatters specific health care positions.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, CalMatters, September 2026
Richard Pan. Chaired the Senate Health Committee and gave CalMatters specific positions on federal health subsidies, single-payer and coverage.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Richard Pan, CalMatters, September 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Kevin Kiley. Offers an office newsletter, publishes issue pages, holds community conversation events and took part in an August 2026 debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Campaign site, home page, The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 20, 2026 (debate video page), Ballotpedia, Kevin Kiley
Richard Pan. Publishes plain-language issue pages and took part in an August 2026 debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, The Sacramento Bee, Aug. 20, 2026 (debate video page), Ballotpedia, Richard Pan
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Kevin Kiley. His hometown of Rocklin, where he lives, is in the new 6th District. FEC by-state totals show about 69 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Mountain Messenger, March 10, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Richard Pan. Represented the Sacramento area in the Legislature from 2010 to 2022. FEC by-state totals show about 78 percent of itemized individual contributions from California.
Sources: Mountain Messenger, Oct. 20, 2025, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Kevin Kiley. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Richard Pan. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Kevin Kiley. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.856 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.456, meeting expectations. His one enacted sponsored bill names a VA clinic.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Richard Pan. State legislative effectiveness data rate him Meets expectations in 2021 to 2022, with 17 of 40 sponsored bills becoming law.
Source: CEL state legislative effectiveness file, California Senate 2021 to 2022
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Kevin Kiley. Missed 15 of 1,917 roll call votes, 0.8 percent, from January 2023 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Richard Pan. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Kevin Kiley. His office reports 6,622 constituent cases resolved, and the Congressional Management Foundation named him a 2026 Democracy Award winner for Best of Constituent Service.
Sources: Office site, home page, Congressional Management Foundation, June 2026
Richard Pan. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Kevin Kiley. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.43742 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 209, negative. Coauthored a bipartisan subsidy bill with Democrat Sam Liccardo.
Sources: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores, CalMatters, September 2026
Richard Pan. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Kevin Kiley. No public record found.
Richard Pan. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in California's 6th Congressional District?
Kevin Kiley has the strongest record in California's 6th Congressional District. Kevin Kiley scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Richard Pan at 65, as of October 9, 2026. Kevin Kiley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Richard Pan's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in California's 6th Congressional District in 2026?
Kevin Kiley (No Party Preference, incumbent), Richard Pan (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Kevin Kiley a good candidate for Congress?
Kevin Kiley scores 71 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 85 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Richard Pan a good candidate for Congress?
Richard Pan scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 10 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every California race scored, and the California 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.