John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Ariz., endorsed Vice President Harris for president on Monday, saying he wanted to “put country over party” and urging others in the GOP to vote against Donald Trump.
In a guest op-ed for the Arizona Republic, Giles — who has served as the mayor of Mesa, the third-largest city in Arizona, since 2014 — wrote that the Republican Party had “a moral and ethical responsibility to restore faith in our democratic institutions,” citing the late Arizona GOP senator John McCain.
“Our party used to stand for the belief that every Arizonan, no matter their background or circumstances, should have the freedom, opportunity and security to live out their American Dream,” Giles wrote. “But since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to course correct. The Republican Party with Trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, away from focusing on our fundamental freedoms.”
Giles’s endorsement of Harris over Trump is not surprising. The Mesa mayor has bucked his party before, notably endorsing Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over Republican opponent Kari Lake in 2022. Giles was censured by the Arizona GOP over his endorsement of Kelly then. Giles’s tenure as mayor of Mesa is up at the end of 2024, with term limits preventing him from running for reelection.
In a guest op-ed for the Arizona Republic, Giles — who has served as the mayor of Mesa, the third-largest city in Arizona, since 2014 — wrote that the Republican Party had “a moral and ethical responsibility to restore faith in our democratic institutions,” citing the late Arizona GOP senator John McCain.
“Our party used to stand for the belief that every Arizonan, no matter their background or circumstances, should have the freedom, opportunity and security to live out their American Dream,” Giles wrote. “But since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to course correct. The Republican Party with Trump at its helm continues down the path of political extremism, away from focusing on our fundamental freedoms.”
Giles’s endorsement of Harris over Trump is not surprising. The Mesa mayor has bucked his party before, notably endorsing Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over Republican opponent Kari Lake in 2022. Giles was censured by the Arizona GOP over his endorsement of Kelly then. Giles’s tenure as mayor of Mesa is up at the end of 2024, with term limits preventing him from running for reelection.
