Arizona Gov. Hobbs picks former GOP mayor as running mate

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has selected former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican-turned-independent, as her running mate for the November election, creating a bipartisan ticket for the state's first-ever gubernatorial race that includes a lieutenant governor candidate on the same ticket. The announcement, made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, sets up a direct contest against the Republican ticket led by U.S. Representative Andy Biggs and his running mate, former state Senator Sine Kerr.

Hobbs, a Democrat seeking a second term, emphasized the need for a partner focused on nonpartisan governance. "The first thing I looked for in a running mate was someone who shares that value of putting Arizonans ahead of partisan politics," she said in a joint video announcement with Giles. The selection comes as Arizona voters will, for the first time, elect a governor and lieutenant governor on a single ticket, a position created by a 2022 ballot measure to clarify the line of succession.

Giles, who served as mayor of Mesa from 2014 to 2025, changed his party registration to independent in May 2026. He has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and endorsed Vice President Kamala...