Arizona's Hobbs Picks Former GOP Mayor John Giles as Running Mate in 2026 Re-election Race
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Aug 11
Arizona's Hobbs Picks Former GOP Mayor John Giles as Running Mate in 2026 Re-election Race
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Aug 11
Summary
John Giles, Mesa’s Republican mayor from 2014 to 2025 who became an independent in May, was named Tuesday as Katie Hobbs’ running mate for November.
Hobbs framed the pick around bipartisan governing as Arizona prepares to elect a lieutenant governor on the same ticket for the first time after a 2022 ballot measure.
Giles has already broken with the GOP—endorsing Kamala Harris in 2024 and later saying the party had been taken over by Trump-aligned extremists.
The choice sharpens Hobbs’ cross-party appeal in a competitive race against Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, who has tapped former state lawmaker Sine Kerr.
Cook rates the battleground contest Lean Democratic, but Hobbs won the governorship by less than 1 percentage point in 2022.