Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses is calling on Gov. Katie Hobbs to meet with advocates, saying more than 70 requests for a meeting have gone unanswered as the planned September removal of horses from the Salt River herd draws closer.
The organization issued the appeal Monday, one week after Hobbs formally launched her “Arizona Over Party” coalition, which her reelection campaign described as a group of Republican and Independent leaders, community members, and business leaders supporting her campaign.
“My focus has always been on delivering results for Arizona families,” Hobbs said when announcing the coalition. “That’s what Arizona Over Party is all about: putting the people of Arizona ahead of partisan politics.”
Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses cited the coalition in its Monday press release, saying its members span the political spectrum and have repeatedly sought an opportunity to speak with Hobbs before horses begin being permanently removed from the herd.
“We are not asking Governor Hobbs to agree with us,” a spokesperson for the group said. “We are simply asking her to listen before an irreversible decision is made.”
The organization said it has submitted more than 70 requests for a meeting with the governor through letters, emails, and other channels over the past several months.
During the group’s July 22 “Preserve the Herd — Follow the Science” rally at the Arizona State Capitol, advocates displayed more than 50 written requests seeking a meeting or assistance from the governor. Organizers said at the time that the requests had gone unanswered.
The dispute centers on a five-year herd management agreement awarded by the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) to the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group in February. The management group has said the plan calls for reducing the herd from approximately 274 horses to 120 through fertility control, natural attrition, and gradual relocation of horses to sanctuaries.
The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group said it plans to relocate approximately 25 horses annually to protected sanctuaries, with the first relocations planned for September. The group has opposed reducing the herd to 120 while saying it agreed to the plan as a compromise that would limit the number of horses removed each year and keep family bands together.
Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses said Monday that the herd currently numbers approximately 269 horses and reiterated its request that Hobbs pause permanent removals until an independent scientific review determines whether the population remaining along the Salt River would be genetically viable and self-sustaining.
“The burden should be on the state to show the science before taking an irreversible action,” the organization said. “The public should not have to accept assurances when the future of a protected herd is at stake. We are asking to see the independent scientific evidence supporting these reductions.”
The group has previously raised concerns over the proposed population level alongside wildlife ecologists and equine genetics specialists. In July, equine population geneticist and Texas A&M University professor emeritus Dr. E. Gus Cothran warned that a population of 120 could pose long-term genetic concerns, saying a population of approximately 150 to 200 animals is generally considered a minimum for maintaining genetic health over an extended period.
The Agriculture Department has defended the management process. When the contract was announced, AZDA said the proposal was evaluated by a panel that included veterinarians, a rangeland management scientist, and a federal wild horse manager, and said the gradual reduction was intended to balance available resources within the herd’s range while preserving its genetic integrity.
The department also told the Arizona Capitol Times in April that it had not independently established or mandated a 120-horse target. According to AZDA, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group proposed reducing the herd to 120 over the five-year contract period. The department said sustainable management requires considering both the ecosystem’s capacity and the size and genetic diversity of the herd.
A spokesperson for Hobbs’ office said at the time that AZDA conducted a thorough procurement process and that the state was committed to sustainably managing the herd to protect the long-term health of the horses and their habitat.
The question of whether additional scientific review should precede removals also reached the Legislature earlier this year. A House-amended version of SB 1199 would have required AZDA to contract for an independent genetic assessment examining effective population size, allelic diversity, and inbreeding coefficients within the herd. It also would have temporarily prohibited population control removals while the herd maintained a negative growth rate, except when necessary to prevent or alleviate the suffering of an individually assessed horse and not for population control.
The House approved the amended legislation 43-10 on June 9 and returned it to the Senate, but senators did not take a final concurrence vote before the Legislature adjourned.
Current Arizona law prohibits harassing, shooting, injuring, killing, or slaughtering members of the Salt River herd and prohibits interfering with, taking, chasing, capturing, or euthanizing the horses without written authorization from the Department of Agriculture or Maricopa County sheriff, which may be granted only for humane purposes. The statute also authorizes the state to enter agreements with private entities concerning management of the herd.
Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses said its request to Hobbs remains open ahead of the September removals.
“Before the September removals, please meet with us,” the organization said. “And before another healthy horse is removed, please show Arizonans the independent science supporting that decision.”
AZ Free News requested comments from Gov. Hobbs’ Office and the Arizona Department of Agriculture; as of publication, no responses were received.
Gov. Katie Hobbs confirmed that the rumors of her lieutenant governor pick were true: John Giles is her running mate.
Hobbs went public with her decision the weekend following an initial deadline from the secretary of state’s office, reportedly established to ensure the state had adequate time for ballot printing.
Giles is the former mayor of Mesa and a recently registered independent who voted in the Democratic primary this year. Giles voted for Joe Biden in 2020, endorsed Sen. Mark Kelly in 2022, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
During the 2024 election, Giles led the Arizona Republicans for Harris organization and spoke at the Democratic National Convention. Giles said in Tuesday’s announcement that those with the Republican Party were “extremists” that prevented good governance.
“I was a lifelong Republican before becoming an independent because extremists shouldn’t stand in the way of getting things done,” said Giles.
Arizona deserves leaders who put our state ahead of partisan politics.
That’s why I’m proud to have former Mesa Mayor @johngiles4AZ by my side as my pick for Lieutenant Governor.
Together, we’ll put Arizona first, deliver real results, and keep moving our state forward. pic.twitter.com/TddoGok0Ve
Not long after going public as Hobbs’ running mate, Giles announced he would fall in line with Hobbs’ preferred non-engagement approach to campaigning and announced he would not be participating in any public debates.
Sine Kerr, Republican nominee Andy Biggs’ running mate, had stated shortly after Hobbs’ reveal that she was eager to debate Giles.
“We should discuss my Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights legislation and SB1583, which protected children from predators,” said Kerr. “Katie Hobbs vetoed both. Maybe John Giles can explain why.”
Kerr said Hobbs and Giles avoiding debates was unfair to voters.
“It’s really unfortunate that they don’t want to stand for a debate. They don’t want to answer tough questions,” Kerr said. “I think it’s very disrespectful to the people, to the voters of Arizona.”
The Arizona Clean Election Commission scheduled a debate between the lieutenant governor picks to occur on October 5.
Looking forward to the Lt. Governor’s Debate on October 5th with Democrat primary voter John Giles.
We should discuss my Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights legislation and SB1583, which protected children from predators.
Hobbs told Arizona’s Family that she selected Giles because he, too, has a history of governing beyond political party.
“I believe Arizonans deserve leadership that puts them ahead of the partisan politics. That’s how I’ve governed,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs dismissed the notion that issues facing Arizonans, including traditionally partisan ones like abortion, were not actually partisan.
“[P]rotecting reproductive freedom, which is not a partisan issue. It’s something that a vast majority of Arizonans support. We’re on the same page,” said Hobbs.
Giles said that the topic of abortion should be left to the voters, which is why he supported Proposition 139.
“I’m a Republican with standards,” said Giles. “In recent years, I felt like some of the folks at the top of the ticket and the Republican Party were just below the bar with regard to character and commitment to the Constitution and rule of law.”
Many of Giles’ most significant policies and initiatives as mayor of Mesa aligned with Democratic Party priorities. In some cases, Giles preempted Hobbs on progressive policy.
In 2021, Giles led the passage of an ordinance to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected classes in the city’s nondiscrimination laws. The ordinance was similar to those adopted by the cities of Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tempe, and, later, Chandler.
Residents opposed to the ordinance cited concerns of males entering spaces historically reserved for females, such as restrooms and locker rooms, and that businesses would face religious persecution. Giles dismissed those concerns as not based in reality and told those opponents that the city had considered the ordinance since he joined as a city council member in 2014. About two years later, Hobbs’ first executive order prohibited gender identity discrimination.
“We’re not breaking any ground here,” said Giles. “This ordinance is moderate and reflects the input from the community. This is a mainstream ordinance that hasn’t been dictated to us from any outside groups.”
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Gov. Katie Hobbs has campaigned on claims of success in negotiating protections for Arizona’s Colorado River water rights — but recent developments have indicated otherwise.
In late June, the governor promised Arizonans that she had successfully advocated for Arizona’s water rights. Hobbs characterized those negotiations as the “one problem” she solved in her four years as governor in an interview with 12 News.
One month later, the federal government announced that Arizona would face the largest Colorado River water cuts.
In her interview with 12 News, Hobbs indicated that the federal government had been persuaded by her contributions to the Lower Basin negotiations.
“We took on a lot of tough challenges that have been years in the making,” said Hobbs. “We have made huge progress in prioritizing Arizona’s Colorado River at the federal level to ensure that we can continue our economic position.”
Hobbs walked into negotiations with arguments no other state could make: Arizona uses Colorado River water to produce more fresh vegetables, advanced missile systems, advanced chip technologies, and critical minerals than other states. Yet, it appears Hobbs failed to make a compelling case for the federal government to divide water cuts more equally.
“All critical to America’s economic future, our national security, we do that with Colorado River water, and no other state can say that, and we’ve been making that case,” said Hobbs.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced last week that Arizonans would be required to cut water usage by up to 77% in 2027 and 2028.
Hobbs responded to the mandate with a plea to the federal government to adopt the proposal she and the other Lower Basin states put forward. The governor said she would continue to try to convince the federal government of Arizona’s importance to the nation with its agricultural and national security contributions.
“As the federal government finalizes their operating plans for 2027 and 2028, my administration will be working around the clock advocating for an approach that protects the stability of the system, distributes water reductions equitably, and ensures water security for all Colorado River water users,” said Hobbs. “I will continue making that case to the federal government and fighting relentlessly to protect Arizona’s fair share of the Colorado River so our families can feel confident we will have the water we need to turn on the taps, nourish our crops, and grow our economy well into the future.”
The Department of the Interior mentioned in its release of the new Colorado River operational guidelines that it had been unsuccessful in reaching a consensus with the basin states over the past six years.
Biggs described the federal mandate as an “Arizona last” measure, and said that the Upper Basin states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — were behind the years-long lack of consensus.
Even with the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Colorado River Basin, I will continue to take action to bring relief to our state and ensure that we can protect our citizens, agriculture industries, and everyone else relying on this life-giving resource. pic.twitter.com/97mD6XUhhh
In that same June interview, Hobbs said in her view that her historic veto record — more than 500 — didn’t cause Arizonans to lose out on any legislation that provided solutions.
“I am proud of the fact that I have signed over 800 bipartisan bills into law. I didn’t come here to veto bills,” said Hobbs.
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Gov. Katie Hobbs is rumored to have picked the leader of the Republicans for Harris movement to serve as her lieutenant governor should she win in November.
Unnamed sources toldThe New York Times that Hobbs picked John Giles as her running mate, a former Republican and the mayor of Mesa from 2014 to 2025. Giles co-chaired Republicans for Harris, a campaign advisory committee for 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Multiple media outlets reported that Giles was a “moderate Republican,” but voter records reflect that Giles changed his voter registration to be an independent back in May and voted in this year’s Democratic primary.
Giles was initially reported to be among a handful of candidates that had allegedly rejected Hobbs’ request, according to sources cited in earlier reporting by The New York Times.
Giles has been a consistent supporter of Hobbs leading up to and throughout her governorship.
Giles served on Hobbs’ transition team; as our reporting noted, Giles was one of several on the team with connections to a fellow transition team member running a nonprofit under investigation for pandemic loan fraud. Giles had backed a proposition put forth by that nonprofit granting in-state college tuition to illegal aliens.
Giles also issued a statement commending the governor on her first 100 days in office.
During the 2024 election, Giles was promoted as leading a coalition of Arizona Republicans campaigning for Harris via their communications director at the time, Delaney Corcoran, who is currently Attorney General Kris Mayes’ campaign manager and until recently, Mayes’ deputy communications director. Giles described President Donald Trump as the “path of political extremism.”
HAPPENING NOW: Arizona Republicans endorse Vice President Harris and slam Trump for his attacks on democracy. GOP leaders will form a new advisory committee to help the Harris for Arizona campaign reach Republicans who will reject MAGA from now until November 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/UKySKxC0LG
Giles’ public commitment to the Harris campaign occurred following a widely circulated guest column in the Arizona Republic in which he criticized pro-life and pro-gun policies as “far-right” threats to constitutional rights.
“Trump poses a serious threat to our nation. We can’t have a felon representing us on the national stage, let alone one who would threaten to abandon NATO and ruin our standing abroad,” wrote Giles in the column. “Kamala Harris is the competent, just and fair leader our country deserves. This year too much is at stake to vote Republican at the top of the ticket.”
While mayor of Mesa, Giles implemented the Off the Streets program, which provides 90-day transitional housing to the homeless using roughly $14 million in pandemic relief funds. Under Giles’ tenure and following the program’s launch in 2021, the homeless population increased by 31%. Giles structured the program using the Built for Zero approach promoted by the nonprofit Community Solutions.
Giles also ensured Mesa was the first in the state to have a Google data center.
Following Harris’s loss and his departure from the mayor’s office, it appears Giles’ involvement with Arizona Republicans for Harris concluded.
Arizona campaign finance records reflect just one expenditure mentioning Giles’ Arizona Republicans for Harris group: a $600 cash payment from the Democrats of Rim County to the organization in September 2024 for signs. The address for Giles’ group was listed as “Unknown, Phoenix, AZ, 85001.”
It appears Arizona Republicans for Harris was absorbed or combined with a political action committee (PAC) that helped Joe Biden win the presidency in 2020, Arizona Republicans Who Believe In Treating Others With Respect.
Daniel Barker, retired Arizona Court of Appeals judge and leader within the Maricopa County Mormon community, co-founded the PAC with his wife, Nan, in 2020.
No campaign finance records for the PAC were available as of this report on the Arizona secretary of state website. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records report the entity to be an active super PAC which reported raising more than $470,000 in 2024. Nearly half of those funds — $200,000 — came from the revocable trust belonging to Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. $125,000 came from Justin Durand, a Mesa guest ranch owner.
Most of the funds raised went to supporting the Harris campaign.
— AZRepublicansWhoBelieve (@AZ_Reps_Believe) October 1, 2024
At the national scale, Republicans for Harris has since rebranded as “Maverick,” a group of “bold centrists fighting for America.” It is maintained by Reed Howard, who formerly ran Young Republicans for Harris and currently serves as chief strategy officer for the Future Caucus.
Attorney General Kris Mayes wouldn’t confirm whether Gov. Katie Hobbs will be questioned as part of the investigation into the governor’s alleged pay-to-play scandal, which has been ongoing for more than two years.
Mayes was asked during a press conference announcing her lawsuit against the Trump administration’s tariffs on Monday whether it was possible that Hobbs would never sit for questioning.
“I’m going to decline to answer that question right now,” said Mayes.
Mayes’ office has asked Hobbs publicly to sit for questioning for months.
Despite needing a sit-down interview to proceed with the investigation, Mayes did promise to release the results of the investigation sometime before the general election in November. Left unsaid was the possibility that voters may not have those results until their ballots have already been cast in the highly competitive governor’s race between incumbent Hobbs and Republican Andy Biggs.
Mayes disagreed that Hobbs was shirking questioning and denied that the prolonged lack of communication between her and the governor on the matter had to do with Hobbs leaning on her power and status as the state’s chief executive, and their shared party affiliation.
“You cannot blow off the attorney general’s office. Full stop. No one can, regardless of who they are,” said Mayes. “When we have a result in this investigation, we will make an announcement. And we are near the end of the investigation.”
The investigation concerns an allegation that Hobbs directed a unique rate increase of 30% for Sunshine Residential Homes, a group home operator, as thanks for the company’s sizable 2024 election cycle donations totaling more than $400,000 to Hobbs and the Arizona Democratic Party. Hobbs was the only candidate to receive contributions from Simon Kottoor, founder and CEO of Sunshine Residential Homes.
While Sunshine Residential Homes received a rate increase, the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) denied rate increases for other home operators and dropped more than a dozen providers. DCS has since stated that the rate increase occurred because Sunshine Residential Homes threatened to prioritize intake of migrant children over Arizona’s foster children.
Mayes began her investigation more than two years ago, in the summer of 2024, after others began investigating following reporting by the Arizona Republic that broke the pay-to-play scandal.
Certain officials had begun to investigate the allegations, but Mayes stepped in to stop them. Mayes sent letters to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell and Auditor General Lindsey Perry, ordering both officials to stop seeking answers.
“It would not be appropriate or in the best interest of the state to conduct parallel investigations into the same matter,” said Mayes in the letter to Mitchell. “[A] separate process conducted by the MCAO could jeopardize the integrity of the criminal investigation that my office will now proceed with.”
Mitchell’s response urged Mayes to reconsider her position on being the sole investigator into the allegations.
“I want to be clear: This is not an accusation against you or the many fine employees in your office,” said Mitchell. “We are in a time when people are increasingly distrustful of government. Your insistence on being the sole investigator in this matter will greatly contribute to people’s […] belief that nothing can change.”
Leadership within the Republican-led legislature announced their own investigatory efforts earlier this year. The House advisory team obtained outside counsel to investigate the alleged pay-to-play scandal. No findings have been made public as a result of that effort to date.
Earlier this summer, the governor vetoed legislation establishing financial transparency requirements tied to the alleged pay-to-play scandal.
Hobbs has denied any wrongdoing throughout the years-long investigation.
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