The last race for a congressional seat has been finally determined after recounts, and National Rifle Association-endorsed former Air Force Col. Martha McSally (R) has defeated Rep. Ron Barber (D) in the 2nd district of Arizona.
Barber, the former district director for ex-Rep. Gabby Giffords, fell 167 votes short, after running a campaign that touted his support for a litany of new gun laws. Barber had filled the seat vacated by Giffords after she was shot in an assassination attempt.
Gifford’s group, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), spent over $2 million to support Barber (or to oppose McSally), which is more than one third of their total expenditures in the 2014 campaign, according to the NRA. Their efforts included a TV ad attacking McSally with false claims about her positions. The group was forced to pull the ad after it was shown to be inaccurate.
Fortunately, the voters of the 2nd district rejected the anti-gun message of ARS, and will now be represented by McSally, who is a defender of the Second Amendment.
