Gov. Hobbs chooses former Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles as running mate

PHOENIX (AP/AZFamily) — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has picked a Republican-turned-independent to be her running mate in a tough reelection campaign, setting up a bipartisan ticket as voters elect the state’s first lieutenant governor.

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Hobbs’ selection Tuesday of John Giles, a former mayor of Mesa, a Phoenix suburb that is Arizona’s third-largest city, is an overture to the Republicans and conservative independents she must win in a state that was once a GOP stronghold. Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage over Democrats since Hobbs eked out a narrow win over Kari Lake, a fierce ally of President Donald Trump, in 2022.

In Hobbs and Giles’ first sit-down TV interview with “Good Morning Arizona” after the announcement, Hobbs said she is confident the selection will draw support from centrist and independent voters.

“I am absolutely confident in my pick of John Giles as my running mate,” the governor said. “I believe Arizonans deserve leadership that puts them ahead of the partisan politics. That’s how I’ve governed, and that’s how Mayor Giles was when he was mayor of Mesa.”

Giles acknowledged questions about his political identity, noting that he voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and attended the Democratic National Convention, but said he does not consider himself a Democrat.

“I’ve been a Republican my whole life,” he explained. “But I’ve also been, I think, a Republican with standards. I’m not an ideologue. I was always taught you vote for the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation.”

Giles, a registered Republican for decades, changed his party affiliation to independent on May 17 and voted in the Democratic primary last month, according to county voting records.

On “Good Morning Arizona,” Giles said he left the Republican Party because he felt recent top-of-ticket candidates fell short on character and commitment to the Constitution.

Policy differences and shared priorities

The two acknowledged differing views on abortion. Hobbs supports abortion rights. Giles said he backed Proposition 139, Arizona’s voter-approved abortion rights measure, and said he would continue to defend it.

“It reflects my personal point of view, but it also, more importantly, reflects the point of view of Arizona’s voters,” he said.

On immigration, Giles pointed to his record as Mesa’s mayor, noting the city ranks in the top 20 nationally for DACA recipients. He said he served as chairman of the Immigration Reform Task Force at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. He said immigration has been a priority of the governor’s administration, citing her investments in border drug interdiction.

On the issue of housing affordability and utility costs, Hobbs said her administration intervened at the Corporation Commission level and saved three million Arizonans more than $300 million on utility bills. She said her administration also signed legislation to reduce regulatory barriers to home construction and established a utility rate assistance and rebate program.

Hobbs pay-to-play investigation

When asked about pay-to-play allegations and a pending interview request from the state attorney general’s office, Hobbs said her team is in ongoing discussions with authorities.

“We are in conversation with the attorney general’s office about this request,” the governor said. “It is an ongoing investigation, which I look forward to concluding.”

The case centers on allegations that Sunshine Residential Homes received preferential treatment from the Hobbs administration after making major donations to Hobbs and the state Democratic Party.

Hobbs said a former director confirmed she was not involved in the decision at the center of the inquiry and said she expects the investigation to reach the same conclusion.

Hobbs unveils running mate

The governor officially announced Giles as her running mate in a statement Tuesday morning.

“At a time when too many politicians are focused on partisan politics, Arizona deserves a lieutenant governor who shares my commitment to putting Arizona first and delivering real results. That’s why I’m proud to have Mayor John Giles by my side. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, if you believe in solving problems and putting Arizona first, there’s a place for you on this team.”

The New York Times was first to report last week that Hobbs planned to select Giles.

Hobbs is considered the most vulnerable Democratic governor in the country, seeking reelection in a state that President Donald Trump won in 2024.

“I’m honored to join Katie Hobbs on this historic ticket because we share the belief that leadership is about bringing people together and getting results,” Giles said in a statement Tuesday. “I’m proud to stand with her to put Arizona first, find common ground, and keep moving our state forward.”

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, the Republican nominee for governor, last week picked Sine Kerr, a farmer and former state GOP lawmaker, to be his running mate. Kerr’s rural roots balance Biggs’ base in parts of metro Phoenix.

In an interview with The Associated Press before Hobbs publicly announced that she had picked him, Giles said he still considers himself to be a conservative and said he stuck around the GOP probably longer than he should have in a crusade to save it. “A few months ago, I realized that it was time to give up that crusade,” Giles said.

Giles led a conservative city for a decade

Giles, who was Mesa’s mayor from 2014 to 2025, has been a vocal Trump critic and has endorsed Democrats, including Trump’s 2024 rival, then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Giles spoke in favor of Harris at the Democratic National Convention, saying Trump’s policies would hurt Mesa.

Giles also backed Democrats running against Trump allies, including Hobbs in her 2022 race against Lake and the state’s current U.S. senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.

As mayor, Giles signed a proclamation promoting equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents in housing and accommodations, a controversial move in the conservative city.

The Biggs campaign, in anticipation of Hobbs’ announcement, launched a website highlighting Giles’ support for Harris in 2024 and his participation in the Democratic convention.

“Democrat Katie Hobbs’ selection of DNC Convention speaker and Democrat primary voter John Giles is of no surprise to Arizonans who have been paying attention,” the Biggs campaign’s senior adviser Drew Sexton said in a statement Tuesday.

“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,” he added, also knocking the rollout as “botched” and “another example of Katie Hobbs’ chaos.”

During the Good Morning Arizona interview, Hobbs directed criticism at Biggs, saying his record in Congress has contributed to rising costs through support for tariffs and other policies.

“He has said there’s no inflation and the tariffs seem to be working,” she said. “He is consistently backing this agenda that is hurting Arizonans.”

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Giles can be an ambassador for Hobbs. Church members make up about 6% of the Arizona population. Latter-day Saints, widely known as Mormons, have been a reliably Republican voting bloc for decades, but many have been ambivalent about Trump since his first run for the White House.

Democrats have been working to woo Latter-day Saints turned off by Trump’s penchant for foul language and demeaning rhetoric toward women and people of color, which clashes with the church’s values of humility, morality and compassion.

Biggs is also a member of the church.

Picking a Republican running mate hones the bipartisan image Hobbs has tried to create, contrasting with Biggs’ background as a far-right congressman and, before that, the state Senate president. But it also risks inflaming tensions on the left.

In the AP interview, Hobbs said she takes a nonpartisan approach to her work in government. When she was asked whether some supporters might be frustrated because she picked a former Republican as her running mate, she said, “It shouldn’t be a surprise.”

Both Hobbs and Giles portray Biggs as an extreme partisan. Giles said it’s disingenuous for Biggs to present himself as more of a moderate when he was “unapologetic about being the most conservative person in the room – in any room.”

Arizona is electing a lieutenant governor for the first time

Arizona is one of just five states without a lieutenant governor position, along with Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming.

That will change in January.

Voters added the post in 2022 to more clearly define the line of succession. Until then, the secretary of state will continue to serve as the next in line to be governor.

Gubernatorial succession is especially relevant in Arizona, where five governors since 1975 have entered the office through succession rather than election.

In fact, of Arizona’s 12 governors over the past 50 years, only one, Republican Doug Ducey, entered and left the office through the typical pathways of being elected and serving out a full term. Among the others, one died, one was impeached and removed, one resigned after being convicted of fraud and two quit to accept presidential appointments.

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