SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rep. Kevin Kiley, a Rocklin Independent, has conceded in California’s 6th Congressional District race after early returns showed former Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan in the lead.

“We fought really hard. I tried really hard ... and all of you supported our cause in so many ways,” Kiley said to a crowd of people at his election night event. “At the end of the day, the headwinds in this election year were just too strong to overcome.”

Pan had received 60.6% of the votes, while Kiley had 39.4%, as of 8:26 p.m. Tuesday. The Associated Press estimates 40% of votes — which includes ballots from West Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, and other communities north and east of Sacramento — had been counted thus far.

Pan led by just more than 27 percentage points in Sacramento County, according to votes counted by 8 p.m.

Pan has been expected to emerge victorious as the 6th District is left-leaning.

After Pan announced that Kiley had called him to concede, the attendees at his election night event at Frends Brewhouse erupted into joyful screams, applause and eventually chanted his name.

“Of course we want to be sure every vote gets counted, but clearly this momentum shows that we’re on the path to victory,” Pan said, adding that he appreciated Kiley’s phone call.

“I look forward, thanks to all of your efforts and work, to working for a different kind of America. An America that actually cares about all Americans,” Pan said. “That includes ... having a much fairer distribution of the wealth and growth in this country.”

Kiley, who left the Republican Party in March to register as an independent, is hoping to break that conventional wisdom. He has spent nearly a year trying to emphasize his qualities as a political moderate.

Pan and his allies, meanwhile, have cast Kiley as an ally of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. Similarly, Kiley’s critiques have emphasized Pan’s longstanding ties to the Democratic Party.

Both candidates have pushed back on the other side’s criticism, with Pan portraying himself as a health-focused politician who would reverse Republican policies and Kiley pointing to his ability to work across the aisle.

Though Kiley campaigned as an independent, the crowds at both his primary election watch party and his Nov. 3 election night event have leaned conservative. Michele Alexander, a retired teacher, and Laura Langman, a U.S. Air Force veteran, were among such attendees.

“I believe in his conservative values,” Langman said of Kiley.

As Democrats swept races around the country and looked poised to flip both the U.S. House and Senate, Langman and Alexander said they worried about the gains made this election cycle by the Democratic Socialists of America.

“Kids are coming up and believe that capitalism is awful, and capitalism is kind of what built our country.” Langman said.

Both women had voted Republican tickets this cycle, they said, with the exception of casting a vote for Kiley.

“I think he did as best as he could in this environment, to let people know he’s been an independent,” Langman said, “And he has, even as a Republican, stood up against that party to vote for things that he felt were correct.”

If the results hold firm, Kiley will be ousted from Congress as California Democratic leaders planned when they pushed forward Proposition 50. The redistricting initiative split Kiley’s current district into six pieces and filled it with Democratic voters.

Kiley decided to run elsewhere, and ultimately settled on the 6th. He and Pan emerged from a crowded field of Democrats in the June primary.

“I think when all the votes are tallied, I’ll have done pretty well with the areas of the district that I represent right now, which I really consider a great vote of confidence,” Kiley said in his concession speech. “I’m really proud of the campaign that we ran. I think that we focused on the right ideas for our district and for our state and our country.”

John Reynen first got to know Kiley more than two decades ago, when the young politician contacted him seeking support.

“Normally when people cold-call me I hang up on them very quickly,” he said, but Kiley caught his attention and Reynen has supported his career ever since. “He has always considered problems in detail.”

Reynen does not think California voters have seen the last of the 41-year-old.

“I think he has a great future,” Reynen said. “He’s an incredible lawyer and a great writer. He can do all sorts of things.”

Geoffrey Poulos has also supported the congressman since his first campaign for statehouse. Like Reynen, he doesn’t even live in the redrawn district Kiley’s campaigning in, but still attended his watch party to show support.

“What strikes me the most is that he’s genuine, he’s up front,” Poulos said. “I think he’s well-intentioned, and he actually puts his words into action.”

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(The Bee’s Madison Smalstig contributed to this story.)

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