Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly open to running for office

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, are both leaving the door open to running for office someday.

CBS News asked the couple in a Friday interview if they harbor political ambitions and would consider running for election.

“Maybe,” said Giffords.

“You never say never,” added Kelly. “It’s not something I have planned. You know, right circumstances, I might consider it.”

Giffords was shot in the head in a mass shooting in 2011 that killed six people and seriously injured 11 others. She stepped down in 2012 to focus on her recovery.

Former Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.), who was also wounded in the shooting, succeeded Giffords in the House, but lost the seat in the closest election of 2014 to now-Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.).

Giffords and Kelly have stayed in the spotlight by pushing for gun control reform. Both are active gun enthusiasts but say laws need to be strengthened to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.