Kevin Kiley Targets Richard Pan's Vaccine Record in Opening Strategy for California's 6th Congressional Race

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Congressman Kevin Kiley is making vaccines — one of the most polarizing issues of the COVID-19 era — the centerpiece of his opening campaign strategy against Democratic challenger Dr. Richard Pan, signaling that the November race for California's 6th Congressional District will feature a sharp contrast on public health policy.

Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans and remains closely aligned with the MAGA wing of national politics, has launched a coordinated campaign portraying Pan as an extremist on vaccine policy. The effort includes repeated fundraising emails, a petition drive and a dedicated website, ParentsAgainstPan.org, which redirects supporters to Kiley's campaign website.

Three campaign emails provided to Elk Grove News urge supporters to join the "Parents Against Pan" movement and repeatedly criticize Pan for sponsoring legislation expanding school vaccination requirements and later supporting COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

In one email, Kiley wrote that he and parents had previously defeated "Pan's radical schemes," citing opposition to Pan's proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for K-12 students, efforts involving parental consent for vaccinations and pandemic-related public health orders.

Another fundraising appeal told supporters they signed the petition because "we cannot let Richard Pan make national policy," while describing him as "so radical he tried to mandate the COVID vaccine for every K-12 student."

A third email declares, "We've Stopped Pan Before," arguing that Pan's legislative record demonstrates why he should be defeated in November.

The messaging is consistent with Kiley's legislative record. As a member of the California Legislature, Kiley opposed several vaccine-related measures backed by Pan and became one of the Legislature's most outspoken critics of California's pandemic restrictions.

Pan, a pediatrician who served in the California Legislature for more than a decade, has advocated mandatory childhood vaccinations since long before COVID-19 emerged.

During a Sept. 9, 2015, appearance before an Elk Grove Democratic club (see video below) —just weeks after Senate Bill 277 eliminated California's personal-belief exemption for school vaccinations—Pan defended the measure and dismissed criticism from anti-vaccine activists.

"The people voted for the pediatrician," Pan told the audience while discussing a recall effort launched against him. "It's hard to argue to people, 'Oh yeah, people voted for the pediatrician and he broke his promise by doing a vaccination bill.' ... You expect that he would."

Earlier in the same presentation, Pan said opponents had launched both a referendum and a recall campaign after SB 277 became law.

"'No good deed ever goes unpunished,'" Pan said before describing efforts by anti-vaccination activists to overturn the legislation.

At the time, Pan argued vaccinations enjoyed broad public support, saying, "Most of the people who live in Elk Grove or the rest of the district actually oppose" the anti-vaccination movement and "think it's a good thing."

Political calculation

Whether Kiley's strategy resonates with general election voters remains an open question.

Vaccine mandates dominated California politics during the pandemic and energized many conservative activists. However, COVID-19 has receded as a daily political issue, and public polling nationally has shown voters increasingly focused on inflation, housing affordability, immigration and the economy rather than pandemic policies.

At the same time, anti-incumbent sentiment has emerged as a significant force in both parties during the 2026 election cycle. Democratic incumbents have suffered surprising primary defeats in states including Colorado and New York, suggesting many voters are more interested in replacing longtime officeholders than revisiting pandemic-era debates.

That dynamic could complicate Kiley's strategy. Rather than framing the race primarily around vaccines, Pan may benefit from broader dissatisfaction with incumbents if voters focus on Washington rather than Sacramento-era legislative battles.

The district's political makeup also presents challenges for Kiley. California's 6th Congressional District holds a Democratic voter registration advantage, although Kiley survived the June primary despite running after leaving the Republican Party to become an independent who continues to caucus with House Republicans.

Kiley's campaign appears to be betting that Pan's long record on vaccine policy remains politically potent enough to overcome the district's Democratic lean.

Whether voters agree—or instead view the issue as a chapter largely closed since the pandemic—may determine whether Kiley's early campaign message gains traction as the November election approaches.