TUCSON – Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords appeared with Democratic congressional candidate Ron Barber before a packed room of supporters here on Saturday evening, kicking off the final 72-hour stretch in thespecial election race for the seat from which she resigned.
Joined by her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, Giffords took the stage to wild applause at the Rialto Theatre. Giffords was on hand for a concert and get out the vote rally for Barber, her former staffer and longtime friend whom she is supporting.
Giffords, whose speaking abilities were impaired by the January 2011 assassination attempt that nearly took her life, only said “Thank you” to the crowd. The former congresswoman, dressed in a green jacket and jeans and her hair appearing longer than in recent photographs of her, embraced Barber and held his hand aloft her head.
Kelly, speaking to those in attendance, framed the race between Barber and Republican Jesse Kelly, who waged an unsuccessful 2010 campaign against Giffords, as a critical battle that was a bookend to the congresswoman’s career.
