Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an
American politician from the U.S. state of
Arizona. As a
Democratic member of the
United States House of Representatives, she represented from January 3, 2007 until her resignation on January 25, 2012, after surviving an assassination attempt that left her with a severe brain injury. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Considered a
"Blue Dog" Democrat, her focus on
health care reform and
illegal immigration were sources of attention for those opposed to her candidacy and made her a recipient of criticism from various conservative groups.