Arizona Sends Retired USAF Female Colonel To Congress. She Also Believes In The Second Amendment.

From Right To Bear Blog:

Arizona Stands Up for 2nd Amendment Rights – In Spite of Gabby Giffords’ Efforts

WhenRepublican candidate Martha McSally was finally declared the winner of Arizona’s Second Congressional District, it was an historic day. First, her win gives the GOP a landmark majority in the House of Representatives. Second, she defeated a candidate who not only backed gun control, but had aggressive support from the woman who previously held the office, Gabby Giffords.

Giffords is a liberal Democrat who was herself critically injured in a gun attack by a crazed assailant. She and her husband have since devoted themselves to the issue of gun control. McSally’s Democratic opponent in the race, Ron Barber, who worked for Gifford, was also injured in the attack, and two people were killed. Barber has been outspokenly in favor of gun control. McSally ran solidly in support of Second Amendment rights.

The 2nd District, based in Tucson, is considered a prize for each party, and Republicans have been working hard to win it for several years. Mitt Romney carried Arizona in 2012. McSally won the seat by 167 votes, with six votes added after the recount, according to election officials. With McSally’s victory, the GOP gained a net of 13 seats in the midterm elections, giving them a history majority.

Barber said in his concession statement:

Today I congratulated Martha McSally on her victory, and wished her well in serving Southern Arizonans. This result is not the one we hoped for, but we takesolace in having spoken out loud and clear for the principle that every legal vote should be counted.

McSally’s statement said:

There’s no getting around that this was an incredibly close and hard-fought race. After what’s been a long campaign season, it’s time to come together and heal our community. That’s why my focus will be on what unites us, not what divides us, such as providing better economic opportunity for our families and ensuring our country and community are kept safe.

McSally, a retired Air Force colonel, had attempted twice before to win the 2nd District Congressional seat. She competed for the GOP nomination in a special election in 2012, following Giffords’ resignation. In the general election in 2012, McSally lost to Barber by approximately 2500 votes.

Giffords had made it a cause to secure Barber’s re-election, and she placed an ad that ultimately backfired. The ad featured family members making an emotional plea to shame McSally into changing her position. The local newspaper condemned the effort, saying it “waves the bloody shirt” by using “the tragic death of two innocents” to attack McSally. It called the ad “base and vile.”

Although the final vote was remarkably close, Second Amendment supporters believe it indicates the people of Arizona have spoken on the issue of gun control.

Government’s Hidden Agenda