The Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona, John Giles, continued to attack his party’s presidential candidate and endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday.
“I feel more at home here than in the Republican Party today,” Giles said.
Giles appealed to the middle of the political spectrum and praised the Biden-Harris administration for the investments it has made in the Phoenix suburb.
Giles first endorsed Harris in July in an opinion column in the Arizona Republic – part of the USA TODAY Network – citing Republican candidate Donald Trump’s history of election rigging.
“With Donald Trump refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to correct course,” Giles wrote. “In the spirit of the late Senator John McCain’s motto, ‘Country First,’ I urge other Republicans in Arizona to join me in putting country over party in this election and voting against Donald Trump.”
Arizona is expected to be a brutal swing state in November, and Giles wrote in his column: “The Grand Canyon State is ground zero in the fight against repeated false claims seeking to disrupt our electoral process.”
A key element of Arizona’s electoral environment was set in stone on Tuesday when the state Supreme Court cleared the way for a vote on an abortion bill that will be voted on in the state in November.
Watch the full speech by John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, at the DNC convention
Republican John Giles delivers a speech at the Democratic Party Convention
John Giles, Republican mayor of Mesa, Arizona, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to show his support for Kamala Harris.
What you should know about Republican Mayor of Mesa, Arizona, John Giles
- Who are you: Mayor of Mesa, Arizona, Republican
- What role do they play: Giles is one of many Republicans who have spoken or are scheduled to speak against their party’s candidate at the Democratic National Convention.
- Key quote: “I have an urgent message for the majority of centrist Americans like me: John McCain’s Republican Party is no more, and we owe a damn thing to what was left behind.”
When and where will the DNC 2024 take place?
The Democratic National Convention will take place from August 19 to 22 in Chicago, Illinois.
The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC.
Chicago has hosted the Democratic National Convention eleven times, most recently in 1996, when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term at the United Center.
How to watch and stream the DNC 2024
USA TODAY will provide live stream coverage of the DNC every night Monday through Thursday on YouTube.
The convention will be broadcast live on the organization’s website from the United Center in Chicago on Monday from 6:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time) and on the other days from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time).
Live updates from the second day of the DNC: Democratic All-Stars take the stage
What are the themes for each night of the DNC?
The DNC announced the evening’s themes for the convention. The title of the convention is “For the People, For Our Future.”
Here are the topics for each evening:
- Monday: “For the people”
- Tuesday: “A bold vision for America’s future”
- Wednesday: “A fight for our freedoms”
- Thursday: “For our future”
