SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA (KEYT) - Bob Smith, the congressional candidate hoping to unseat incumbent congressman Salud Carbajal, is no longer aligned with the GOP.
Smith confirmed Friday afternoon to your News Channel that he was distancing himself from both parties and registered No Party Preference or Independent.
A News Channel crew met up with Smith at the Santa Barbara County Elections Office minutes before he signed the paperwork.
"I've realized the diverse interests that we have here on the Central Coast from the fishing communities in Morro Bay to the ag communities in North County, down to our cities down here," said Smith. "We need somebody who's going to represent the Central Coast first and not political party affiliation."
Nick Kvistad, Smith's campaign media advisor, told your News Channel that Smith – who'd been a life-long Republican – registered No Party Preference in 2024 when he retired from the Navy and moved from New Jersey to California.
Last year, Smith registered back to Republican as he launched his campaign against Democratic incumbent congressman, Salud Carbajal.
Smith said the change had nothing to do with the GOP or President Trump.
"I've never been focused on the president at all. I've been focused on my entire campaign on issues here on the Central Coast and I actually think that those things are diversions from focusing on the issues here that we need solved on the Central Coast."
Smith credited Congressman Carbajal as a "nice guy" but believed the career politician has not solved key problems facing local voters.
Smith said his former "Republican" status will remain on the November ballot. He said changing his status today amounted to "signing a pledge" that if elected, he will walk into Congress as an Independent.
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