Key Points:

• Gov. Katie Hobbs confirms former Mesa Mayor John Giles will be her running mate

• The announcement ends weeks of speculation and unconfirmed reports

• Giles, a Republican-turned-independent, rounds out a ticket focused on bipartisanship

Gov. Katie Hobbs ended weeks of speculation on Tuesday by confirming that she has selected former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate. 

Giles, a lifelong Republican who recently switched his party registration to independent, is a longtime ally of the Democratic governor, having endorsed her in 2022 for her first run for the Ninth Floor.

“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,” Hobbs said in a statement. 

The former mayor endorsed Hobbs’ reelection bid in early July, fueling speculation that he would become her running mate. Anonymous sources told the New York Times on Aug. 4 that Giles would be Hobbs’ pick, but the governor and her campaign refused to confirm the news until Tuesday. 

Giles made headlines two years ago when he endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in her 2024 presidential run and led a coalition dubbed “Republicans for Harris.” Before becoming an independent, Giles had long been labeled a “Republican in Name Only” by the more conservative wing of the Arizona GOP.

“I was a lifelong Republican before becoming an Independent because extremists shouldn’t stand in the way of getting things done,” Giles said in a video announcing his entrance into the race. 

Many political observers see Giles as a smart choice for Hobbs’ ticket, which needs to appeal to Arizona’s growing bloc of independent voters. The governor launched an “Arizona Over Party” coalition on Aug. 4, touting support from over 50 local leaders — both Republican and independent. 

During his decade serving as Mesa mayor, Giles championed a nondiscrimination ordinance that included protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The 2021 ordinance marked the first time Giles found himself publicly at odds with members of his own party.

But he also ruffled the feathers of Democrats, many of whom criticized him for prioritizing Mesa’s business interests over environmental concerns. 

Giles is an attorney by trade who spent four years on the Mesa City Council before becoming mayor. Giles is also a member of the typically conservative Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious affiliation he shares with Hobbs’ opponent, Congressman Andy Biggs.

Biggs selected former state Sen. Sine Kerr as his running mate on July 31, emphasizing her rural roots and legislative experience as a boon to his ticket. 

Anticipating Hobbs’ pick, the Biggs campaign came out swinging against a Hobbs/Giles ticket before it became official. Biggs launched a website comparing Hobbs and Giles to Harris and her former running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.