That means Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) still has time to screw up her pick for lieutenant governor. John Giles may no longer call himself a Republican, but his actions have aligned him with Democrats for years. On May 17, 2026, after nearly forty years as a registered Republican, he left the Republican Party, registered as No Party Preference, and pulled a Democratic primary ballot. "Truth be told, I still don’t believe John Giles will ultimately be her choice. Indeed, less than two weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris launched her run for president, Giles signed on as an early endorsee.