Gabby Giffords | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Giffords in 2022 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 8th district | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 25, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Kolbe |
| Succeeded by | Ron Barber |
| Member of the Arizona Senate from the 28th district | |
| In office January 8, 2003 – December 1, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Randall Gnant |
| Succeeded by | Paula Aboud |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 13th district | |
| In office January 1, 2001 – January 8, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Andy Nichols |
| Succeeded by | Steve Gallardo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gabrielle Dee Giffords June 8, 1970 Tucson, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (since 2000) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (1988–2000) |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Paltrow (second cousins) |
| Education | Scripps College (BA) Cornell University (MRP) |
| Awards | .svg){kind=small} Presidential Medal of Freedom (2022) |
| Signature |  |
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control activist. She served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Arizona's 8th congressional district from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned because of a severe brain injury suffered during an assassination attempt. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress.
Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Giffords graduated from Scripps College and Cornell University. After initially moving to New York City, where she worked in regional economic development for Price Waterhouse, she returned to Arizona to work as the CEO of El Campo Tire Warehouses, a family business started by her grandfather. She served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2001 until 2003 and the Arizona Senate from 2003 until 2005 when she was elected to the U.S. House.
She had just begun her third term in January 2011 when she was shot in the head in an assassination attempt and mass shooting just outside of Tucson during an event with constituents. Giffords has since recovered much of her ability to walk, speak, read, and write. She was greeted by a standing ovation upon her return to the House floor in August 2011. She attended President Obama's State of the Union address on January 24, 2012, and appeared on the floor of the House the following day, at which time she formally submitted her resignation, receiving a standing ovation and accolades from her colleagues and the leadership of the House.
Though a moderate on the issue during her time in Congress, Giffords has since become an ardent advocate for gun control. In January 2013, she and her husband launched Americans for Responsible Solutions, a non-profit organization and Super-PAC which later joined with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become the organization Giffords. She is married to former Space Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly, who is the junior senator from Arizona.