Good news, Ron Barber successfully won control of Gabrielle Giffords' congressional seat last night.
Barber defeated Republican Jesse Kelly, an Iraq War veteran who had lost narrowly to Giffords in 2010, to become the new U.S. Representative from Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. With 50.3 percent of precincts reporting, Barber received 52 percent of the vote to Kelly’s 45 percent. Green Party candidate Charlie Manolakis received 2 percent.
Barber was wounded in the assassination attempt against Giffords, who ultimately resigned her seat due to the rigors of rehabilitation from her injuries. Barber was shot in the face and thigh. Nine other victims were wounded, and six others died in the attack.
Barber had served as district director for Giffords from 2007 until her retirement.
Not mentioned is the utterly distasteful and stupefying ways in which Barber's Republican challenger, Jesse Kelly, campaigned against him.
This includes, among other things, holding a campaign rally wherein supporters could fire M16 assault rifles and participate in a raffle for a Glock pistol. The same kind of pistol used to shoot Gabrielle Giffords and kill six people.