Chinese-American Pediatrician Richard Pan Defeats Rep. Kevin Kiley in California's 6th District, Putting Chinese-Descent Lawmakers at a Record Six in the New Congress
The race for California's 6th Congressional District has been called for Democrat Richard Pan, a Chinese-American pediatrician, who defeated incumbent Rep. Kevin Kiley with about 57.5 percent of the vote. The Associated Press called the race for Pan, and Kiley conceded on election night.
With roughly half of the vote counted as of Wednesday morning, Pan had 86,732 votes to Kiley's 64,143, a margin of about 15 percentage points. The 6th District covers the Sacramento area and parts of Placer and Yolo counties under the map redrawn after Proposition 50. Kiley, first elected in 2022 from the old 3rd District, ran in the 6th as an independent who caucuses with Republicans.
Pan, a pediatrician, served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before leaving the Senate in 2022. Born in New York and raised in Pittsburgh to parents who emigrated from Taiwan, he became nationally known in 2015 for authoring California's law eliminating religious and personal-belief exemptions for school vaccine requirements. He has said federal health officials' moves to loosen vaccine mandates helped push him to run for Congress. In 2024 he ran for mayor of Sacramento but did not advance from the primary.
In his victory statement, Pan said he was proud to be part of the growing Asian-American representation in Congress. According to the South China Morning Post, Pan's win means the 120th Congress, convening in January 2027, will include a record six lawmakers of Chinese descent. Rep. Judy Chu won re-election in California's 28th District with 68.4 percent, and Rep. Grace Meng was also re-elected in New York.
Pan's term begins on January 3, 2027, when the 120th Congress convenes. Democrats have won back the House majority in this midterm election.
Related: Judy Chu re-elected to the U.S. House
Source: Associated Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Richard Pan 官方肖像（资料图）。加州参议院发布，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Official portrait of Richard Pan (file photo). California Senate, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-11-04Chinese-American Pediatrician Richard Pan Defeats Rep. Kevin Kiley in California's 6th District, Putting Chinese-Descent Lawmakers at a Record Six in the New CongressThis story
