民主党亚利桑那州州长凯蒂·霍布斯近日选择前共和党人、梅萨前市长约翰·吉莱斯作为副州长候选人 [1]。吉莱斯曾于2014年至2025年担任梅萨市长 [1]，并于2024年5月17日将党派身份从共和党改为独立人士 [1]。这一人事安排旨在组建跨党派竞选团队，争取共和党和保守派独立选民的支持 [1]。
吉莱斯在政治立场上已展现与霍布斯的协作意愿。他曾在2024年民主党全国代表大会上为卡玛拉·哈里斯发言 [1]。亚利桑那州将在2026年首次选举副州长职位 [1]。此前该州是仅有五个没有副州长职位的州之一，另外四州为缅因州、新罕布什尔州、俄勒冈州和怀俄明州 [1]。
Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has chosen John Giles, the former mayor of Mesa and a onetime Republican, as her running mate for lieutenant governor.[1] Giles, who served as Mesa's mayor from 2014 to 2025, switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent on May 17, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he later spoke in support of Kamala Harris.[1] The selection represents a cross-party ticket strategy aimed at appealing to Republican and conservative independent voters in the state.
This move comes as Arizona prepares for its first-ever election for the lieutenant governor position in 2026, a role the state has never had as an elected office until now.[1] Arizona is one of only five states without a lieutenant governor, alongside Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Wyoming.[1]