DON THOMPSON
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO (AP) — A former Republican leader in California's state Assembly is dropping his party affiliation, saying Thursday that he's tired of the political bickering.
Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley, east of Los Angeles, said he switched to no party preference on Monday and pulled papers Thursday to run for re-election as an independent next year.
He's termed out of office in 2026 from the 42nd Assembly District, which is evenly split between Republican and Democratic voters in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
He has represented the once-safe Republican district since 2014. But he gave up his leadership post after he angered Republicans by working with Democratic lawmakers to extend California's limits on greenhouse gas emissions in 2017.
Mayes t
