Gabrielle Dee Giffords born June 8, 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 until January , 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. She served in the Arizona House of Representatives from until and the Arizona Senate from until when she was elected to the U.
She had just begun her third term in January 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 She attended President Obama's State of the Union address on January 24, , 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. She was raised in a mixed religious environment, as her mother was a Christian Scientist and her father was Jewish.
Her paternal grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was a Jewish emigrant from Lithuania who changed his name to Giffords to avoid anti-Semitism in the United States. Giffords graduated from Tucson's University High School. She is a former Girl Scout.
She focused her studies on Mexican-American relations. Giffords worked as an associate for regional economic development at Price Waterhouse in New York City. The business was sold to Goodyear Tire in At the time of the sale, she commented on the difficulties local businesses face when competing against large national firms. Since , she has practiced Judaism exclusively and belongs to Congregation Chaverim, a Reform synagogue, in Tucson.
