Arizona's governor's race may be headed for an unusually bipartisan ticket: Gov. Katie Hobbs is reportedly preparing to name former Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, as her running mate. The expected pick would put a prominent GOP critic of President Donald Trump on the Democratic incumbent's ticket as she prepares for a November contest against Republican Rep. Andy Biggs.
The news was first reported locally by ABC15 Arizona, which said the announcement could come in the next few days and that Hobbs' campaign had been asked for comment. The report attributed the selection to a New York Times story based on people familiar with the decision, so the pairing remains unannounced publicly.
John Giles Is No Ordinary Republican Pick
Giles is not a conventional choice for either party's base. KTAR reported last month that the lifelong Republican endorsed Hobbs for reelection, praising her bipartisan record and criticizing Biggs as too focused on hyperpartisan politics; Giles also backed Kamala Harris over Trump in 2024.
Arizona Is Creating Its First Lieutenant Governor
This is also the first Arizona election in which voters will choose governor and lieutenant governor as a joint ticket. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission says Proposition 131 created the office, which will sit first in the line of succession and can be assigned duties such as chief of staff or leadership of a state agency.
The new setup gives Hobbs a chance to make the running-mate slot about more than succession. A Republican pick could help her campaign reach voters wary of Arizona's increasingly nationalized partisan fight, although whether Giles can move enough GOP voters remains an open political question.
Biggs Already Has His Own Running Mate
Hobbs' reported announcement comes after Biggs named former state Sen. Sine Kerr as his lieutenant governor choice. Axios reported that Kerr's agricultural background could help the GOP ticket with rural voters, while her conservative record is likely to become a Democratic attack line.
The running-mate drama arrives after Biggs began defining the race on his terms; a Hoodline report detailed his early television attacks on Hobbs. With Biggs carrying Trump's endorsement and Giles reportedly joining Hobbs, Arizona's first lieutenant governor contest is shaping up as a test of whether crossover appeal still has room in a hardening swing state.
