Ron Barber, 66, was Gabrielle Giffords’ district director from 2007 until she retired from the House last month. Barber was also wounded in the Tucson shooting in 2011 that left six dead and Giffords severely damaged. Barber was shot twice, once in the leg and once in the face. In a statement, Barber said, “Our community needs someone who will put politics aside and solve problems for the people of Southern Arizona. My commitment is to be honest with the people of this district and help restore civility to our public life.”
State Rep. Matt Heinz is also running for the House seat, but Barber reported he hoped his rival would step aside. It remains uncertain if Barber is simply going to step in for Giffords or if he will also run for the seat again in November. Barber said, “I think it would be a little presumptuous of me to think about a second election when I haven’t been able to get on the ballot yet.” Republicans are going to have difficulty challenging a man closely related to Giffords and the Tucson tragedy. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) reported to the New York Times, “Not a lot of people are going to vote against him.”
