Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) announced on Tuesday that she has selected John Giles, a former Republican mayor of Mesa, as her running mate for the November gubernatorial election. The move marks the first time Arizona voters will elect a governor and lieutenant governor on the same ticket following a 2022 ballot measure.
Hobbs framed the selection as a commitment to prioritizing Arizonans over partisan divisions. “The first thing I looked for in a running mate was someone who shares that value of putting Arizonans ahead of partisan politics,” she stated in a joint announcement video with Giles.
Giles, who served as Mesa’s mayor from 2014 to 2025, has a history of breaking with his party. County records indicate he was registered as a Republican until May 2026, when he changed his affiliation to independent. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and spoke at the Democratic National Convention, criticizing the modern Republican Party.
Hobbs faces Republican Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) in the general election. Biggs, a former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, selected former state lawmaker Sine Kerr as his running mate after winning the GOP primary in August.
Why Giles switched parties
Giles has described his shift from Republican to independent as a rejection of extremism. “I was a lifelong Republican before becoming an independent because extremists shouldn’t stand in the way of getting things done,” he said in the announcement. His voter registration change occurred in May, and he participated in Arizona’s Democratic primary last month, according to Hobbs’ communications director.
Background on the race
Hobbs, widely considered the nation’s most vulnerable Democratic governor, won her 2022 race against Kari Lake, a Trump ally, by a narrow margin. Republicans have since expanded their voter registration advantage in Arizona, intensifying competition for the governorship.
Voters will elect a lieutenant governor for the first time in November, following the 2022 ballot measure that created the position. The New York Times first reported Hobbs’ plans to name Giles as her running mate.