Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs Picks Former GOP John Giles as Arizona Running Mate/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs selected former Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate. The bipartisan ticket seeks support from moderate Republicans and independents in a difficult reelection campaign. Hobbs and Giles will face Republican Andy Biggs and former state lawmaker Sine Kerr in November.
Quick Look
- Katie Hobbs chose former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate.
- Giles was a registered Republican for decades.
- He changed his registration to independent on May 17.
- Giles voted in Arizona’s Democratic primary in July.
- He still describes himself as a conservative.
- Giles served as Mesa mayor from 2014 to 2025.
- He endorsed Kamala Harris against Trump in 2024.
- Giles previously supported Hobbs, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
- Republican nominee Andy Biggs selected Sine Kerr as his running mate.
- Hobbs is considered the nation’s most vulnerable Democratic governor.
- The selection could attract Republicans but upset progressive Democrats.
- Giles and Biggs are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Arizona voters will elect a lieutenant governor for the first time.
- The new office takes effect in January.
Deep Look
Hobbs selects former Republican for bipartisan ticket
PHOENIX — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs selected former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a longtime Republican who recently became an independent, as her running mate Tuesday.
The decision creates a bipartisan ticket for one of the country’s most competitive gubernatorial elections.
Hobbs is seeking support from moderate Republicans and conservative independents as she runs for a second term in a state that was once reliably Republican.
Arizona voters will also elect a lieutenant governor for the first time, adding greater significance to her selection.
Hobbs faces difficult reelection campaign
Hobbs is widely considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor seeking reelection in 2026.
She narrowly defeated Republican Kari Lake in 2022.
Lake, a close Trump ally, disputed the result and continued challenging it after the election.
Since then, Republicans have expanded their voter-registration advantage over Democrats, increasing pressure on Hobbs to attract voters beyond her party’s base.
Choosing Giles is an explicit effort to appeal to Arizonans who identify as conservative but oppose Trump and the Republican Party’s direction.
Giles changed registration before primary
Giles was registered as a Republican for decades.
He changed his party affiliation to independent on May 17 and voted in the Democratic primary in July, according to county election records.
Despite leaving the GOP, Giles told The Associated Press that he continues to consider himself a conservative.
He said he remained in the Republican Party for years because he hoped to change its direction.
“A few months ago, I realized that it was time to give up that crusade,” Giles said.
His selection allows Hobbs to argue that her campaign represents a coalition extending beyond traditional party boundaries.
Republican ticket pairs Biggs with Sine Kerr
Republican gubernatorial nominee Andy Biggs selected Sine Kerr as his running mate last week.
Kerr is a farmer and former Republican state legislator.
Her rural background complements Biggs’ political base in parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Biggs is a conservative congressman and former president of the Arizona Senate.
The competing tickets offer voters a clear contrast: Hobbs is presenting a bipartisan partnership, while Biggs is running with a longtime Republican associated with agriculture and rural Arizona.
Giles led conservative Mesa for a decade
Giles served as mayor of Mesa from 2014 until 2025.
Mesa is Arizona’s third-largest city and a traditionally conservative suburb of Phoenix.
During his tenure, Giles increasingly separated himself from Trump and aligned with Democrats in several major elections.
He endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race and spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
Giles argued that Trump’s policies would damage Mesa and other Arizona communities.
Giles repeatedly supported Democrats
Giles also endorsed Hobbs during her 2022 campaign against Lake.
He supported Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego when they ran against Trump-aligned Republican candidates.
Those endorsements strengthened Giles’ relationships with Arizona Democrats but created criticism from Republicans who view him as having already abandoned the party before formally changing his registration.
His electoral record nevertheless could help Hobbs communicate with suburban conservatives who are uncomfortable with Biggs.
Mesa proclamation generated controversy
As Mesa mayor, Giles signed a proclamation supporting equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents in housing and public accommodations.
The action was controversial in the conservative city.
It also demonstrated Giles’ willingness to depart from Republican orthodoxy on some social issues.
Hobbs’ campaign is likely to present that record as evidence of pragmatic and inclusive leadership.
Republicans may use it to argue that Giles’ policy views are no longer conservative.
Biggs campaign attacks Giles’ Democratic ties
The Biggs campaign launched a website before Hobbs’ announcement highlighting Giles’ endorsement of Harris and his participation in the Democratic National Convention.
Senior campaign adviser Drew Sexton said the selection was predictable.
Hobbs’ choice “is of no surprise to Arizonans who have been paying attention. As Kamala Harris’ favorite Arizona mayor, Giles is aligned with Hobbs on all the issues that have hurt Arizonans the most over the past four years,” Sexton said.
He also argued that Giles “has been an aspiring Democrat since he first voted for Joe Biden in 2020.”
The Republican campaign will attempt to undermine Hobbs’ bipartisan message by portraying Giles as a Democrat who only recently dropped the Republican label.
Giles could appeal to Latter-day Saints
Giles is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Church members account for approximately 6% of Arizona’s population and have historically formed a reliable Republican voting constituency.
Many Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormons, have expressed discomfort with Trump’s style since his first presidential campaign.
His use of offensive language and demeaning rhetoric toward women and racial minorities conflicts with church teachings emphasizing humility, morality and compassion.
Democrats have worked to attract Latter-day Saint voters who remain conservative but are alienated by Trump.
Giles could serve as a prominent campaign representative to that community.
Biggs is also a member of the church, making the contest for those voters particularly significant.
Bipartisan strategy carries risks on left
Selecting a former Republican reinforces the nonpartisan image Hobbs has tried to cultivate as governor.
It allows her to contrast her approach with Biggs’ record as a far-right lawmaker.
The choice could, however, create frustration among progressive Democrats who wanted one of their own party members elevated to the new lieutenant governor’s office.
Hobbs said her supporters should not be surprised because she has consistently emphasized working across party lines.
Asked whether Democrats might object to Giles’ Republican history, she responded: “It shouldn’t be a surprise.”
Hobbs and Giles portray Biggs as extreme
Both members of the Democratic ticket characterize Biggs as an ideological extremist.
Giles accused the Republican nominee of trying to appear more moderate during the general election than his record supports.
He said Biggs had been “unapologetic about being the most conservative person in the room – in any room.”
Hobbs and Giles are expected to emphasize Biggs’ ties to Trump, his far-right voting record and his previous leadership of Arizona’s Republican-controlled Senate.
Biggs will counter that Hobbs’ bipartisan branding disguises a record aligned with national Democrats.
Arizona creates lieutenant governor position
Arizona has been one of five states without a lieutenant governor, along with Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming.
That will change in January.
Voters approved the creation of the office in 2022 to establish a clearer line of succession.
Until the change takes effect, Arizona’s secretary of state remains next in line to become governor.
The new system places the governor and lieutenant governor on a joint ticket, allowing voters to choose both simultaneously.
Succession has unusual importance in Arizona
Gubernatorial succession has occurred frequently in Arizona.
Five governors since 1975 entered office through succession rather than election.
Of the state’s 12 governors during the past 50 years, only Republican Doug Ducey both entered office through election and left after completing a full term through the typical process.
Among the others, one died in office, one was impeached and removed, and another resigned after a fraud conviction.
Two governors left to accept presidential appointments.
That history gives the state’s first elected lieutenant governor a potentially consequential role beyond the ordinary responsibilities of a running mate.
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