John Giles | |
---|---|
40th Mayor of Mesa | |
Assumed office September 18, 2014 | |
Preceded by |
Scott Smith Alex Finter (acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1959 or 1960 (age 63–64) Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Children | 5 |
Education |
Brigham Young University (
BA) Arizona State University, Tempe ( JD) |
John C. Giles (born 1959/1960) is an American politician serving as the 40th mayor of Mesa, Arizona. [1] 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 special election following the resignation of then-Mayor Scott Smith. In 2022, Giles was censured by the Arizona Republican Party over his endorsement of Mark Kelly in the 2022 United States Senate election. [2]
Giles was born in Mesa, Arizona. He graduated from Westwood High School in 1978. He attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a political science degree in 1984. Giles received his Juris Doctor degree from the 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]
He was elected to the Mesa City Council in 1996, serving until 2000, including a term as vice mayor from 1998 until 2000. [5]
Giles is a registered Republican, although the position of mayor is officially nonpartisan. Giles endorsed Democrat Mark Kelly in the 2022 U.S. Senate election. [6]
Following Mayor Scott Smith's resignation in 2014, Giles was elected mayor in a special election, for a term lasting until 2017. [7] He was sworn in on September 18, 2014. [8] [9] In 2016, Giles was reelected to a full four-year term, which is set to last until 2021. [10] Giles began his second full term in January 2021. [11]
His key areas of focus include the 5Es: Emergency Response, Equality & Compassion, Education, Environment and Economic Growth. [12] As mayor, Giles led the adoption of a city-wide Non Discrimination Ordinance [13] and Climate Action Plan. [14]
In 2024, Giles was a staunch opponent of Arizona state legislation to increase housing supply in the state amid a housing shortage. [15] The legislation proposed to remove red tape and restrict the abilities of Arizona cities from mandating Home Owners Associations, minimum home sizes and community amenities. [15] Giles argued that "silencing our neighborhoods is not the solution to the housing crisis". [15]
Giles and his wife, Dawn, have five children and eight grandchildren. [1] Giles is a marathoner and triathlete who has completed two full Ironman competitions, 20 marathons and four Boston Marathons. [16]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | John Giles | 53,273 | 99.01% | |
Write-in | Write-ins | 353 | 0.99% | |
Total votes | 53,808 | 100.0% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nonpartisan | John Giles | 33,177 | 72.7% | |
Nonpartisan | Danny Ray | 12,483 | 27.3% | |
Total votes | 45,660 | 100.0% |
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% |
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% |