The Republican mayor of Arizona broke party lines to endorse Vice President Harris, but has been invited to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month. He told The Arizona Republic on Monday..
Mesa Mayor John Giles did not confirm whether he would attend but said he “appreciates the invitation” and said he also plans to attend Harris’ rally in Phoenix on Friday.
Giles is among a number of current and former Republican lawmakers to endorse Harris’ presidential campaign, saying in announcing his endorsement last week that the Republican Party “lost its way” under former President Trump.
“Our party has always stood for the belief that all Arizonans, regardless of their background or circumstance, should have the freedom, opportunity and safety to achieve the American Dream,” he wrote.
“But since Donald Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, the Republican Party has yet to correct course,” Giles continued. “Under Trump’s leadership, the Republican Party has moved away from a focus on our fundamental freedoms and continues to travel the path of political extremism.”
Giles also warned last week that Trump would not leave office if elected to a second term.
The Harris campaign launched “Republicans for Harris” last week, a group of 25 current and former Republican senators who have endorsed the vice president, and Giles is co-chair of the group.
The group is led by former Trump administration aides Stephanie Grisham and Olivia Troy, as well as former Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
Other backers, the campaign said Sunday, include former Republican governors Bill Weld of Massachusetts, Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and Jim Edgar of Illinois. The campaign also highlighted former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan’s endorsement of Harris after he endorsed President Biden.
While Trump has a lead over Biden in Arizona polls, recent polls have Harris running neck and neck with Biden in the state. Arizona Democrats hope that Harris’s lead in the field will improve their chances of winning the state’s Senate election in November, where Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is hoping to replace retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ).
