A top former aide to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is running in the special election to serve as the interim replacement for the Arizona Democrat who was wounded in a shooting rampage a year ago.

Democrat Ron Barber was Giffords' district director. He also was wounded in the January 2011 shooting at a Tucson shopping center.

Barber's announcement only says he's running in the current 8th Congressional District.

It doesn't say whether he'll run in the fall in the redrawn 2nd Congressional District that will include nearly the entire current 8th District, but he's not expected to do that.

Giffords resigned from Congress last month to concentrate on her recovery.

The winner of the special election will serve the last half-year of Giffords' two-year term.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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