Arizona GOP blasts Hobbs' choice for lieutenant governor

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(The Center Square) - Arizona Republicans are pushing back against Gov. Katie Hobbs’ choice for a running mate.

Hobbs named former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her lieutenant governor. Hobbs and Giles are on the same ticket, and if Hobbs is reelected, Giles will become the state's first lieutenant governor. The position was created when voters approved Proposition 131 in 2022, and Nov. 3 will be the first time that Arizonans vote on a governor-lieutenant governor ticket. The lieutenant governor will be the state's second-in-command, which up to now was the secretary of state.

Hobbs, a Democrat, said she was proud to choose Giles as her running mate during a time “when too many politicians are focused on partisan politics.”

“Arizona deserves a lieutenant governor who shares my commitment to putting Arizona first and delivering real results,” Hobbs said.

Giles, who is a former Republican, said he was honored to be Hobbs’ running mate.

“We share the belief that leadership is about bringing people together and getting results,” he said. “I’m proud to stand with her to put Arizona first, find common ground and keep moving our state forward.”

However, according to U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, who is facing off against Hobbs in November, Giles “is a Democrat in every way.”

Giles, who is registered as an independent, left the GOP in May.

Biggs told The Center Square on Thursday that Giles has “not been a Republican for a long time.”

And Arizona GOP Chairman Sergio Arellano said Giles is not bipartisan.

Arellano noted Giles implemented a “progressive agenda” as Mesa’s mayor from 2014 to 2025.

As mayor, Giles voted for Mesa’s nondiscrimination ordinance in 2021 that added gender identity and sexual orientation protections in employment, housing and public accommodations.

On top of this, he supported Mesa’s goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2050, expansion of the city’s electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and a failed ballot initiative to raise the city’s sales tax and 

The former mayor also signed a letter in 2024 advocating for the federal government to give work authorization to illegal immigrants. Other mayors who signed the letter included former New York Mayor Eric Adams and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Biggs said Giles has been trying to “fool Arizona voters” by “trying to pretend he’s a Republican.”

He added that Giles spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention and expressed his support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in past presidential elections.

Despite Republicans critiquing Giles as a lieutenant governor candidate, Mike Noble, the CEO of the polling company Noble Predictive Insights, told The Center Square on Wednesday that Hobbs picking Giles as her running mate was a “smart move.”

Noble said Giles will be able to help the governor capture “disaffected Republicans and independent voters.”

Hobbs’ choice of Giles allows her to appeal to the broader electorate rather than to partisan corners, according to Noble.

Last month, Biggs named Sine Kerr his running mate.

Based on polling numbers, Biggs’ choice of Kerr “made sense because he’s got a bit of a base issue,” Noble said.

Biggs picking Kerr is an attempt to shore up his own party’s support, Noble said, adding that she has the respect of the moderate part of the Arizona GOP.

An AARP poll released last week showed Hobbs beating Biggs by 8 points: 52% to 44%. The poll had a margin of error of ±3.2 %.

Ten percent of Republican voters supported Hobbs while only 2% of Democrats backed Biggs, the poll showed.

Heading into November, Biggs told The Center Square that the Arizona GOP is “very united right now.” In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Biggs received nearly 75% of the votes, according to unofficial election results.

Biggs said he thinks these Republicans will “come home” and that he will pick up independent voters, too.

The poll found Hobbs has a 27-point advantage over Biggs among independent voters.

Voters between the ages of 18 and 34 lean heavily toward Hobbs, with the governor holding a 54-point lead in this voting bloc, the poll found.

Biggs has a 9-point advantage over Hobbs among voters over 50, the poll showed.

He told The Center Square that this is “huge” because they make up the majority of Arizona voters.

The poll found that voters over 50 are much more motivated to vote than those between 18 and 34.

Looking ahead, Arellano said if the Arizona GOP can get its voters out, Biggs will win, citing the party’s 319,000-voter registration advantage over Democrats.