Katie Hobbs has picked a Republican-turned-independent to be her running mate in a tough reelection campaign, setting up a bipartisan ticket as voters elect the state’s first lieutenant governor. Giles, a registered Republican for decades, changed his party affiliation to independent on May 17 and voted in the Democratic primary last month, according to county voting records. The Republican nominee is U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who last week picked Sine Kerr, a farmer and Republican former state lawmaker, to be his running mate. As Kamala Harris’ favorite Arizona mayor, Giles is aligned with Hobbs on all the issues that have hurt Arizonans the most over the past four years.” Picking a Republican running mate hones the bipartisan image Hobbs has tried to create, contrasting with Biggs’ background as a far-right congressman and, before that, the state Senate president.