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Arizona: Five Candidates File for Giffords Special

With just a few hours left before Monday’s filing deadline, one Democrat and four Republicans had filed nominating petitions with the Arizona secretary of state’s office to run in the 8th district special election. Democrat Gabrielle Giffords resigned from the seat Jan. 25.

Giffords’ former district director, Ron Barber, was the lone Democrat to file. Barber, 66, who was wounded alongside Giffords during a January 2011 shooting rampage in Tucson, announced Feb. 9 that he was running and that Giffords had asked him to serve out the remainder of her term.

The four Republicans vying for the seat are state Sen. Frank Antenori, college sports broadcaster Dave Sitton and military veterans Martha McSally and Jesse Kelly, who challenged Giffords in 2010.

The filing deadline was Monday at 8 p.m. EST. The special primary is scheduled for April 17 and the general election for June 12.

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