Exclusive: Gov. Katie Hobbs, John Giles talk debates, water in wide-ranging interview

Gov. Katie Hobbs and running mate John Giles defended their refusal to debate, addressed an ongoing pay-to-play investigation and outlined their positions on water and affordability during a wide-ranging interview with KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Friday.

Here are the answers, organized by topic:

Gov. Katie Hobbs stood firm that neither she nor Giles will debate

Since July, Hobbs has said definitively that she won’t debate Republican opponent Andy Biggs. That hasn’t stopped the op-eds or the question from being asked of her and her running mate on an almost weekly basis. Hobbs has been consistent in her answer: the current debate format doesn’t help the voter.

Q: Governor, is there any way you could be talked into debating Andy Biggs?

Hobbs: “I think that face-to-face interactions with real Arizonans, real conversations are so much more effective than a stage that’s designed for soundbites and political theater. That’s why I’ve spent so much time going all over the state. Just this year alone, I’ve had over 100 open press events, taking tough questions from reporters. This is the opposite of my opponent, who himself has dodged many debates during his runs for Congress as well as forums across the state during the recent primary.”

Q: Mayor Giles, was the decision not to debate Sen. Kerr yours or the campaign’s?

Giles: “I agree with the governor’s decision not to debate. Anybody who watched that last Republican primary debate on television would like to get an hour of their lives back. That is not a good format for the dissemination of useful information. The flip side is to be out on the radio every day answering hard questions, and we are going to do that every day for the next 90 days.”

Gov. Katie Hobbs is eager for pay-to-play investigation to end

Allegations of a pay-to-play scheme have dogged Hobbs’ re-election campaign since they first surfaced in 2024. The questions center on a state contractor’s donation to the governor’s first inaugural committee, and the issue has become a focal point of Andy Biggs’ campaign. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose office is leading the investigation, has said she expects to deliver a report before the election.

Q: Governor, Attorney General Kris Mayes says she will deliver an investigative report on an alleged pay-to-play scheme before the election. Will you agree to be interviewed by her office?

Hobbs: “We’ve been in conversation and still are with her office about the request. I’m very much looking forward to this investigation wrapping up. I know that it’s going to show what the previous director has said, what public reporting has confirmed: I was not involved at all in this rate increase decision, and the department acted in the best interest of foster children when they made this decision.”

Running on a Democratic ticket, Giles touts his conservative bona fides

Giles, the former Mesa mayor, spent years as a Republican before registering as an independent. His spot on a Democratic ticket has raised questions about his political identity, but Giles says his conservative roots are an asset and a contrast he’s happy to draw with Biggs.

Q: Mayor Giles, you’re now a registered independent after years as a Republican. Do you have conservative philosophies you’re hoping to bring to the ticket?

Giles: “Of course I do. There was a reason I was a Republican, and I continue to identify with a lot of the principles that the Republican Party says they identify with. Gov. Hobbs and I are different people with different perspectives. I endorsed her four years ago and I remember thinking, ‘Oh man, I hope she doesn’t disappoint me or embarrass me by doing things outside of my political comfort zone.’ She has not. This is a governor that deserves to be reelected. She has pursued an Arizona-first agenda, as opposed to Mr. Biggs, who has been very politically extreme and sees everything through a partisan lens.”

Democratic socialists are not on Gov. Katie Hobbs’ radar

Q: Governor, when you see the rise of Democratic socialists in the party, do they bring something to the table — or do they concern you?

Hobbs: “I’m not really watching what’s going on in other states in that regard. I can tell you that in Arizona we’re doing things differently. I don’t think tackling tough challenges from a particularly partisan lens is effective. I’ve worked to bring people together — that’s what this ticket is about. We’ve had a lot of success bringing people together on water, passing important economic development legislation and delivering lower costs for Arizonans.”

Water is an urgent, top priority

Water consistently ranks among the top concerns for Arizona voters, making the state’s shrinking Colorado River supply a defining issue in the governor’s race.

Q: Your opponent says “too little, too late” on water. Do you feel you’ve let Arizonans down on the Colorado River?

Hobbs: “The documents that have been released — the final environmental impact statement — are a range of options. If they were to go with the furthest extreme, that would be very bad for Arizona. That is why I have fought and worked to bring together the lower basin states. We’ve presented an alternative proposal that shares those cuts across the lower basin, and we’re expecting the record of decision very soon. It will likely closely align with that alternative. Arizona will not shoulder that burden alone, and that is because we have worked really hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Q: What if the Bureau of Reclamation goes with the most punitive option?

Hobbs: “We are using every single tool at our disposal, including legal if we need to. I fought and secured millions of dollars to protect our interests in the Colorado River. Nobody wants to end up in court, but we will use every tool we have available to us.”

Giles blames D.C. for Arizona’s affordability crisis

Q: Mayor Giles, what needs to be done to make things more affordable for Arizonans?

Giles: “Coming from local government, this has really been impressed upon me for the last 10 years as mayor. I’ve loaded a lot of boxes of food into people’s cars and worked hard to keep utilities on and roofs over people’s heads. The folks in Washington, D.C. just don’t get that — and I’ll put Andy in that group. There’s a direct line between the votes Andy’s had in Congress and the financial challenges people in Mesa, Arizona, are experiencing. I am thrilled that we have a governor who came to politics from social work and in everything she does, she thinks about the human impact it’s going to have on people.”

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