Katie Hobbs, John Giles launch joint Arizona campaign for governor, lieutenant governor

MESA, Ariz. - Gov. Katie Hobbs campaigned for the first time with her running mate, former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a former Republican who is now an independent, on Aug. 15.

Campaign Kickoff:

At a campaign kickoff in Mesa, Giles defended his decision to leave the Republican Party and join Hobbs’ ticket as an independent candidate for lieutenant governor.

"If you had said to me a few short years ago that I was going to be standing next to a Democrat as an independent candidate for lieutenant governor, I would have had a few questions," Giles said.

Tackling Issues:

Giles said he sees common ground with Hobbs on issues including economic development, education, public safety and transportation.

"I feel like the party left me, not the other way around," Giles said.

Big picture view:

The Hobbs campaign is leaning into that appeal, saying it is building a coalition that goes beyond Democrats.

"These aren't Democrat or Republican issues and I've said that for four years," Hobbs said. "They're Arizona issues."

What Voters Are Saying:

But for some voters, that raises a question: Which version of Giles are they getting?

"It's a fair question," Political Consultant Stan Barnes with Copper State Consulting said. "John Giles has been a Republican his whole life and recently not so. What is he really about? In this case he's about Katie Hobbs being reelected. But why?"

Some Mesa voters said they are not concerned about the bipartisan pairing.

Sherry Von Riesen, a Mesa resident, said she appreciates Giles’ willingness to work across party lines.

"To come out here and to see the mayor work across the aisle with the Democrats was a beautiful thing, because it's not just Democrats and Republicans," Von Riesen said. "It's working together."

The other side:

In a statement, Biggs’ campaign called Giles "an aspiring Democrat since he first voted for Joe Biden in 2020" and said he is aligned with Hobbs on "the issues that have hurt Arizonans the most over the past four years."

Biggs is running with former state Sen. Sine Kerr, a Buckeye dairy farmer.

What's New?:

For the first time in state history, Arizona voters will elect the governor and lieutenant governor as a ticket, setting the stage for a new kind of race this November.

Hobbs' Statement:

"I asked John Giles to join this ticket because he shares my commitment to putting Arizona first and delivering results for the people we serve. We come from different political parties, but we share the same belief that leadership is about bringing people together, solving problems, and doing what's best for Arizona—not playing partisan games."

Giles' Statement:

"This very non-traditional ticket that Governor Hobbs has put together, to me, I think is a shining example of the behavior that needs to be modeled throughout our country. We need Republicans, we need Democrats, we need Independents."

What's next:

Barnes said the significance of the new lieutenant governor position remains an open question.

"The fun part is, in 100-plus years of being a state, Arizona has never done this," Barnes said. "And so we are, for the first time, seeing if the lieutenant governor spot is not worth much in the election or is worth a lot."