AMBITIONS

Giffords Was Eyeing Senate Run

For seat Sen. Kyl has now abandoned.

One more thing to mourn from the Tucson shooting: It potentially dashed Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ Senate opportunities. A source close to the congresswoman said Thursday that Giffords was considering running for Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl’s seat if Kyl decided not to seek re-election— which Kyl did this morning. The source clarified that Giffords did not think Kyl would retire at the time. It’s still unclear whether the congresswoman—who has regained some speech since she was shot on January 8—could physically handle the strain of a Senate campaign—or even if she still wants to. With Kyl’s surprise announcement, though, the seat is now up for grabs between Democrats and Republicans—with rumors flying that a strong Democrat candidate may have a chance to grab a seat currently held by one of Washington’s most powerful Republicans.