Cronkite Header

Cronkite News has moved to a new home at cronkitenews.azpbs.org. Use this site to search archives from 2011 to May 2015. You can search the new site for current stories.

Barber has narrow lead over McSally in congressional race

Email this story
Print this story

PHOENIX – Rep. Ron Barber, D-Tucson, leads Republican Martha McSally in the race for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District, covering part of Pima County and all of Cochise County. But the race remains too close to call, in part because no results have been posted from Cochise County.

The two faced each other in a 2012 congressional race that Barber narrowly won. Political consultants have said that the current race will be similarly close.

McSally has tried to portray Barber as soft on border security. Barber has pointed to what he calls McSally’s right-wing agenda.

McSally is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and pilot. Barber was district director for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Tucson, and replaced her after both were severely injured in a 2012 mass shooting that left six people dead and many others wounded.