Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs chooses former Republican Mayor John Giles as her running mate
Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, right, poses for a photograph with her running mate for Lieutenant Governor John Giles, the former Republican Mesa, Ariz., mayor, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has picked a Republican-turned-independent to be her running mate in a tough reelection campaign, setting up a bipartisan ticket as voters elect the state's first lieutenant governor.
Hobbs' selection Tuesday of John Giles, a former mayor of Mesa, a Phoenix suburb that is Arizona’s third-largest city, is an overture to the Republicans and conservative independents she must win in a state that was once a GOP stronghold. Republicans have expanded their voter registration advantage over Democrats since Hobbs eked out a narrow win over Kari Lake, a fierce ally of President Donald Trump, in 2022.
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