Vice President Harris announced this weekend the endorsement of prominent Arizona Republicans for her presidential campaign against former President Donald Trump.
And down the ticket, U.S. Senate hopeful Ruben Gallego announced his own list of endorsements from across the aisle, with a coalition of “Republicans and Independents for Gallego” supporting his candidacy over Republican nominee Kari Lake.
Mesa Mayor John Giles, one of two Republicans to endorse both Harris and Gallego — so did former state lawmaker Robin Shaw — said he doesn’t take the decision lightly.
“I only step my toe into these waters when I feel like it's in the best interest of my city, and that I have to do that to protect my city,” Giles told reporters at a Monday morning rally for Harris. “I've seen firsthand the impact of a Donald Trump presidency on cities, they were largely ignored.”
That stands in contrast to the Biden-Harris administration, Giles said, and what he called the success of the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
“I'm going every week to groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings, based in large part on the infrastructure investment that's coming from the federal government,” he said.
It’s not the first time Giles has crossed the aisle with endorsements. In 2022, he endorsed Democrat Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate, and Democrat Katie Hobbs in the gubernatorial race — again, over Lake.
Two years, “the Republican candidates presented a danger to my community,” Giles said. “They would have veered us off course, Arizona would have been a spectacle nationally. And I think that's the case again” with Trump and Lake.
As for Shaw, the former GOP lawmaker said she regrets voting for Trump in 2016.
“I am proud to stand with my fellow Republicans who have joined this crucial effort and are joining more and more day-by-day across the country,” Shaw said. “Being quiet isn't an option anymore.”
Gallego said he welcomed the endorsements regardless of political affiliation.
“We may not agree on everything, but we can find common ground on one essential goal: building a better Arizona,” Gallego said in a statement Sunday.