Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ pick for lieutenant governor, former Mesa Mayor John Giles, will not participate in any public debate.
The Arizona Clean Elections Commission has a lieutenant governor debate scheduled for October 5, but Hobbs’ campaign manager Nicole DeMont said in a statement Monday that the Hobbs-Giles campaign believes “face to face engagement with Arizonans is more effective” than debating.
Likewise, Hobbs is refusing to participate in the governor’s debate against the Republican nominee, Congressman Andy Biggs.
The Hobbs campaign confirmed Giles as the governor’s running mate on Monday. The New York Times reported last week that she was planning to choose him, citing anonymous sources.
Biggs’ lieutenant governor pick, Sine Kerr, said on X that she was “looking forward” to debating Giles.
Following the Hobbs’ campaign’s comment that neither candidate will debate, Kerr said she’s disappointed but not entirely surprised.
“It’s really unfortunate that they don't want to stand for a debate. They don't want to answer tough questions,” Kerr said. “I think it’s very disrespectful to the people, to the voters of Arizona.”
She noted that until Hobbs refused to debate GOP candidate Kari Lake in 2022, gubernatorial debates had been a tradition since 1954.
“I thought, you know, ‘is she [Hobbs] really going to go there and not have her lieutenant governor at least debate?’ So, not a total surprise. She has a terrible record to defend, so I don't think I would debate either if I had to defend her record,” Kerr said.
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