Washington ( CNN ) -- Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords is urging Arizona voters to supporter her successor , Rep. Ron Barber , who is locked in a tough race for re-election , with a personal video appeal . Giffords , who has been recovering since being seriously wounded in a 2011 shooting , speaks clearly into the camera as she says , `` We expect our leaders to fight for us , not the special interests . Ron Barber is independent , he 's courageous , and most of all he 's Arizona through and through . '' This ad from the political action committee founded by Giffords -- Americans for Responsible Solutions -- follows some controversy about a previous ad from the same group attacking Barber 's opponent , Republican Martha McSally . 5 House races to watch in 2014 . Barber is a former congressional aide to Giffords . They were both wounded in that same attack as she was greeting constituents . He won a special election to replace her after she resigned her seat in 2012 and then he was re-elected to a full term in 2012 . The campaign for Arizona 's 2nd Congressional District this year again pits Barber against McSally , a retired Air Force colonel . He barely beat her two years ago , and the 2014 race is rated a tossup by the nonpartisan Rothenberg and Cook political reports . This is the fourth ad in this contest from Americans for Responsible Solutions , which Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly formed to help push for stronger gun-control legislation , including more stringent background checks for purchases . Several of the group 's previous spots went after McSally for not supporting closing a gap that allowed stalkers with misdemeanor convictions to buy guns but barring those convicted of felonies from such purposes . One of those spots became controversial for featuring a mother whose 19-year-old daughter was stalked and shot to death by her ex-boyfriend . In the wake of the ad , her campaign later said McSally would support new legislation preventing those convicted of a misdemeanor stalking crime from buying a gun and revealed she had been a victim of stalking earlier . Guns killing women : Time for Congress to act . The ad and the topic of how to deal with gun violence were featured in a debate between McSally and Barber on Tuesday . McSally said she was a proud supporter of the National Rifle Association , adding she wanted to make sure gun violence was minimized and `` is obviously addressed in our communities . '' Then she added : `` We have different ways of talking about that . But the way that this has happened in this campaign has just been disgraceful . There were ads that were run by your allies that were considered vile and nasty by the Arizona Republic ( newspaper ) . '' McSally pushed Barber over the stalking ad . He responded , `` The ad was not run by me , and I 'm not going to talk about an ad that I did n't sponsor . But when you talk about allies , the ad was run by someone who is highly regarded in this community and across the country for her work to prevent gun violence and that 's Gabby Giffords . But that aside , what my opponent has said is that she now accepts the notion that we should have misdemeanor stalkers prohibited from having a gun . The problem with her position is that she still refuses to say we should expand background checks . '' Americans for Responsible Solutions says the cost of its new ad is `` a strong six-figure buy '' and will air for two weeks on broadcast , cable , and online . The controversial stalking ad is not the only creating some controversy in this election . The National Republican Congressional Committee this week started airing a spot attacking Barber by featuring some of Giffords ' past positions , such as voting against former House Speaker and current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , as it tries to show Giffords was more independent than Barber is . Giffords released a statement saying : `` No organization or person -- no matter which party they say they represent -- should think they can come to Southern Arizona and pretend to speak for me ... I work hard to speak , but 's my voice . So take it from me : Ron is an independent leader in Congress , and no one will fight harder for our community . '' Gabrielle Giffords Fast Facts .
Gabby Giffords continues to recover from a 2011 shooting . She 's recorded a video ad for her successor , Ron Barber . Hide Caption