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John Giles (mayor)

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John Giles
Giles in 2024
40th Mayor of Mesa
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 18, 2014
Preceded byScott Smith
Alex Finter (acting)
Personal details
Born1959 or 1960 (age 64–65)
Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Children5
EducationBrigham Young University (BA)
Arizona State University, Tempe (JD)

John C. Giles (born 1960)[1] is an American politician serving as the 40th mayor of Mesa, Arizona.[2] A Republican, Giles previously served as a member of the Mesa City Council from 1996 to 2000. Giles was elected mayor of Mesa in a 2014 special election following the resignation of Mayor Scott Smith.

Early life and career

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Giles was born in Mesa, Arizona. He graduated from Westwood High School in 1978. He served a two-year mission for his church in South Korea from 1979-1981. He attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a political science degree in 1984. Giles received his JD from Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 1987.

Giles works as a lawyer with the firm Giles & Dickson.[3] Giles was the president of the East Valley Bar Association from 1992 until 1993.[4]

Political career

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Giles was elected to the Mesa City Council in 1996, serving until 2000, including a term as vice mayor from 1998 until 2000.[5]

Following Mayor Scott Smith's resignation in 2014, Giles was elected mayor in a special election, for a term lasting until 2017.[6] He was sworn in on September 18, 2014.[7][8]

In 2016, Giles was reelected to a full four-year term, which lasted until 2021.[9] He was again reelected in 2020 and began his second full term in January 2021.[10]

As mayor, Giles led the adoption of a city-wide non-discrimination ordinance[11] and climate action plan.[12] In 2021, Giles spearheaded the creation of the Mesa College Promise to provide a free community college education to qualified students.[13] He supported expansion of the Mesa College Promise to adult learners in 2024[14] As Chair of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), Giles supported a regional action plan to address homelessness in 2021.[15] Giles led the City of Mesa to implement an Off the Streets program which provides temporary housing to seniors, veterans, families with young children and single women.[16] In 2023, Mesa City Council approved the purchase of a hotel to serve as an emergency shelter facility for the Off the Streets program.[17]

In 2024, Giles opposed bipartisan Arizona state legislation to increase housing supply in the state amid a housing shortage.[18][19] The legislation proposed to restrict the abilities of Arizona cities to mandate home owners associations, minimum home sizes, and community amenities.[18] Giles argued that "silencing our neighborhoods is not the solution to the housing crisis."[18]

Giles endorsed Democrat Mark Kelly over Republican Blake Masters in the 2022 U.S. Senate election.[20] The Arizona Republican Party censured Giles over his endorsement of Kelly.[21] He endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election over Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.[22] He and former Arizona representative Robin Shaw are co-chairing the state chapter of Republicans for Harris.[23] He spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention on August 20.[24]

Personal life

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Giles and his wife, Dawn have five children and eight grandchildren.[2] Giles is a marathoner and triathlete who has completed two full Ironman competitions, twenty marathons, including four Boston Marathons.[25]

Giles is the host of It's Always Cool in Mesa, a podcast that shares the stories behind some of Mesa, Arizona's most popular outdoor adventures, culinary treasures, and unique history.[26]

Electoral history

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2020 Mesa mayoral election[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John Giles (incumbent) 60,473 66.25
Nonpartisan Verl Farnsworth 30,452 33.36
Write-in Write-ins 357 0.39
Total votes 91,282 100.00
Mesa mayoral election, 2016[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John Giles 53,273 99.01%
Write-in Write-ins 353 0.99%
Total votes 53,808 100.0%
Mesa Mayoral Special Election, 2014[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John Giles 33,177 72.7%
Nonpartisan Danny Ray 12,483 27.3%
Total votes 45,660 100.0%
Mesa City Council election, 1996[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John Giles 17,426 23.2%
Nonpartisan T. Farrell Jensen 15,949 21.2%
Nonpartisan Dennis Kavanaugh 13,481 17.9%
Nonpartisan Lillian Wilkinson 10,407 13.8%
Nonpartisan Dana B. Harper 10,053 13.4%
Nonpartisan David Molina 7,831 10.4%
Total votes 75,147 100.0%
Mesa City Council at-large primary, 1996[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan John Giles 14,392 15.8%
Nonpartisan T. Farrell Jensen 11,861 13.1%
Nonpartisan Lillian Wilkinson 10,885 12.0%
Nonpartisan David Molina 10,070 11.1%
Nonpartisan Dennis Kavanaugh 9,848 10.8%
Nonpartisan Dana B. Harper 9,635 10.6%
Nonpartisan Michael D. Whiting 9,196 10.1%
Nonpartisan Manuel Cortez 5,873 6.5%
Nonpartisan David A. Wier 5,403 6.0%
Nonpartisan John Robie 6,639 4.0%
Total votes 90,802 100.0%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Is Mesa's Latter-day Saint mayor leaving the Republican party or leading it?".
  2. ^ a b "Mayor John Giles | City of Mesa". www.mesaaz.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-04-19. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
  3. ^ "Mayor John Giles". City of Mesa. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  4. ^ "John C. Giles, Attorney". Giles & Dickson. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "Mayor John Giles". City of Mesa, Arizona. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  6. ^ Brodie, Mark (September 19, 2014). "John Giles Elected Mayor Of Mesa". KJZZ. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  7. ^ Godfrey, Trevor (September 20, 2014). "Mesa mayor Giles officially sworn into office". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  8. ^ Polletta, Maria; Leavitt, Parker (September 19, 2014). "John Giles sworn in as Mesa's 40th mayor". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "Mayor John Giles". NDC Academy. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  10. ^ Steinbach, Alison. "Mesa Mayor John Giles leads in reelection bid, while Julie Spilsbury could unseat Councilmember Jeremy Whittaker". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  11. ^ "The Arizona Republic". The Arizona Republic. (subscription required)
  12. ^ "The Arizona Republic". The Arizona Republic. (subscription required)
  13. ^ "Mesa College Promise Program Expands to Eligible Adult Learners". March 4, 2024.
  14. ^ Writer, Scott Shumaker, Tribune Staff (2024-03-12). "City, MCC expand college scholarships". The Mesa Tribune. Retrieved 2024-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Boehm, Jessica. "New shelters, affordable housing: Metro Phoenix launches regional plan to end homelessness". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  16. ^ "Mesa seeing success with 'Off the Streets' program despite pushback". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  17. ^ "Mesa City Council approves proposal to buy hotel to use as temporary shelter for people who are homeless". 12news.com. 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  18. ^ a b c "Phoenix-area mayors blast controversial housing bill they say would 'silence our neighborhoods'". Az Central. 2024.
  19. ^ "Mesa mayor calls affordable housing measure 'deeply flawed' - Daily Independent". The Daily Independent at YourValley.net. 2024-03-16.
  20. ^ "Multiple GOP mayors, business owners backing Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly". KTAR.com. 2022-07-17. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  21. ^ Basnet, Neetish (July 26, 2022). "GOP censures Mesa lawmaker, Mayor Giles". The Mesa Tribune. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  22. ^ Giles, John. "Why, as a Republican mayor, I support Kamala Harris over Trump". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  23. ^ "Republicans For Harris: Mesa mayor, former Arizona lawmaker co-chairing local chapter". FOX 10 Phoenix. 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  24. ^ "Republican Mayor John Giles feels more at "home" with the Democratic party". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  25. ^ "Mayor John Giles | City of Mesa". www.mesaaz.gov. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  26. ^ "It's Always Cool in Mesa, A podcast hosted by Mayor John Giles".
  27. ^ "Mayoral election in Mesa, Arizona (2020)". Ballotpedia.
  28. ^ "MRC 20160830 E August 30, 2016 Summary Report MARICOPA COUNTYFINAL OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). Maricopa County Recorder. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  29. ^ "Mesa, AZ Mayor - Special Election 2014". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  30. ^ "Mesa, AZ City Council At Large 1996". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  31. ^ "Mesa, AZ City Council At Large Primary 1996". Our Campaigns. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
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Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Mesa
2014–present 		Incumbent
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