Katie Hobbs John Giles ticket will make Arizona political history in the November 2026 election. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs selected former Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles as her candidate for the state’s new lieutenant governor post. The move creates an unusual bipartisan pairing in one of America’s most closely watched governor races, as Baltimore Chronicle reports.
The selection was confirmed on August 11 by the Hobbs campaign, the primary source for the announcement. The development was also reported by The National News Desk and Associated Press.
Why Katie Hobbs chose John Giles
Hobbs presented Giles as a partner focused on results rather than party loyalty. Giles said he had been a lifelong Republican before becoming an Independent. He changed his voter registration to no party preference in May 2026.
Giles led Mesa from 2014 through 2025. He had already backed Hobbs in the 2022 governor race and later supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. His selection therefore formalizes a political alliance that developed over several election cycles.
The Democratic ticket now brings together:
- Gov. Katie Hobbs, seeking another term;
- John Giles, a former Republican and Mesa mayor;
- a campaign strategy aimed at Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans.
The choice gives Hobbs a running mate with deep roots in Arizona’s traditionally Republican electorate. It also sharpens the contrast with the Republican ticket.
Arizona will elect its first lieutenant governor
The 2026 election is different from every previous Arizona governor race. Voters approved Proposition 131 in 2022, creating a lieutenant governor elected jointly with the governor. Arizona Secretary of State materials identify Proposition 131 as the constitutional amendment establishing the joint ticket.
| Democratic ticket | Republican ticket |
|---|---|
| Katie Hobbs | Andy Biggs |
| John Giles | Sine Kerr |
| Giles was formerly Republican | Kerr is a former state senator |
Republican nominee Andy Biggs chose former Arizona state Sen. Sine Kerr as his running mate. That means both major-party candidates have now defined their full tickets for November.
The new lieutenant governor will become first in the line of succession to the governor. Previously, that role belonged to Arizona’s secretary of state.
Biggs campaign attacks the Hobbs-Giles ticket
Biggs’ campaign responded by portraying Giles as a Republican in name only and linking him politically to Democrats. The criticism focused on his previous support for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Hobbs.
For Hobbs, however, that political history appears central to the strategy. Her campaign is presenting the Katie Hobbs John Giles ticket as an alternative to increasingly polarized party politics. The November vote will show whether that appeal can attract enough independents and center-right voters.
Earlier we wrote that Federal Hill safety measures tighten nightlife rules with curfews and parking restrictions