Mark Kelly Won't Run For Gabrielle Giffords' Congress Seat: Report

WASHINGTON -- Mark Kelly won't run for the seat being vacated by his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), he told Arizona Republic on Wednesday.

"I am not running for Congress," Kelly said in an interview with Arizona reporters. Kelly, a retired astronaut, made his remarks shortly after Giffords handed in her letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). Lawmakers in both parties gathered in the chamber Wednesday morning to bid an emotional farewell to Giffords, who is stepping down from Congress to focus on her recovery from being shot in the head in a January 2011 shooting spree in Tucson.

"Today was a sad day," Kelly said. Stepping down is "not what Gabby wanted," he said, but "it was evident to her that she was not improving ... fast enough" to return to Congress.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a close friend of Giffords', broke down in tears as she read aloud her resignation letter on the House floor with Giffords at her side.

"I have given all of myself to being able to walk back onto the House floor this year to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District. However, today I know that now is not the time. I have more work to do on my recovery before I can again serve in elected office," Giffords' letter read. "Every day I am working hard. I will recover and will return and we will work together again for Arizona and for all Americans."

Giffords will deliver her resignation letter on Thursday to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who will then determine the dates for the special elections to fill Giffords' seat for the remainder of her 2012 term.

Kelly told Arizona Republic that Giffords "never planned to be a career politician" and that it was "very unlikely" she would have served in Congress for decades. He said there is a "pretty good chance" she will endorse a candidate seeking to fill her seat, but it won't be him.

For now, Kelly said his plans include making breakfast for Giffords -- "which I really love to do" -- as the couple return to being private citizens. Among the things they've talked about doing in the next couple of years: having a baby.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Thewriter123]

09:04 PM on 01/26/2012

Giffords stands as a role model to all of us: Don't ever give up.

[gschear]

10:07 AM on 01/26/2012

The Nations loss sir but totally understandable. Take care of her and support her recovery and thank you for your already great service to the nation in the space program..

[Mij13]

05:43 AM on 01/26/2012

He should have taken over her seat. He's be great, I think.

[DCMG]

04:48 AM on 01/26/2012

Two people that deserve, if anyone does, the title "role model".

[celere]

03:13 AM on 01/26/2012

He's wonderful: strong, courageous, smart and competent...and gentle, loyal, caring, compassionate, soft. FULLY human. A REAL man.

I'm so glad she has him.

[cornel]

03:09 AM on 01/26/2012

I'm sorry for her and her hubby etc. But she was a blue dog and did not help the cause at all (will not list her deeds, you can Google it up). Time for Mrs.Schultz to put up a progressive replacement candidate that is eligible.

[bdaved]

03:36 AM on 01/26/2012

I beg your pardon, but Arizona's 8th Congressional District doesn't need anybody from anywhere else putting up any kind of candidate.

[gschear]

10:13 AM on 01/26/2012

Nice dream but do you understand that in some districts a very liberal Democrat cannot get elected where-as a moderate one can? We have to obtain a majority in both houses and that means winning seats in conservative districts. An Alan Grayson cannot be elected in the Arizona 8th. Is it better to lose with ideological purity than to win a majority and make incremental progress? Sounds very Tea Partyish to me.

[Michaela19801]

02:59 AM on 01/26/2012

I admire Gabby a great deal. And I also admire Mark. He has been by her side throughout this. The pictures of him sitting at her bedside holding her hand, before she was even conscious say what kind of man he is. Good, he is a good caring man.

[MissTigress]

02:57 AM on 01/26/2012

May she be blessed with continued recovery each day and may they someday be blessed with a little one.

[erasmus888]

04:24 AM on 01/26/2012

She's getting a little old to be having a baby. Yes, some people do have kids at that age, but there is way more chance of having problems with the pregnancy.

[RC Hindle]

07:42 AM on 01/26/2012

And your point is?

[SFnomad]

02:52 AM on 01/26/2012

Gabby has a good man there by her side and she needs him right now more than we do. If ever comes a day that she feels ready to return to office or he decides to make a new career of it, we'll welcome either of them (or both) with open arms.

[speckitis]

02:12 AM on 01/26/2012

Kelly has a political future, just not yet. He's well admired in Tucson and I'm proud to have served in the Navy with him.

[Marcospinelli]

09:54 AM on 01/26/2012

Mark Kelly lives in Texas with his two daughters from a previous marriage (joint custody with ex-wife).  

[KIVPossum]

01:57 AM on 01/26/2012

They are a wonderful pair; admire them a lot.

He is doing the right thing to not seek her seat.

They are much better people that seek a seat under the 'it's mine by birth / relationship' mentality that many seeking office have.

We want her to get better. We want her to come back.

[reluctantWASP]

01:35 AM on 01/26/2012

He should run for her seat, its obvious that AZ needs for level headed politicians.

[robadeaux]

02:35 AM on 01/26/2012

Isn't it obvious from that photo that they both need to help each other survive. First and foremost they need each other. They do not need the ego feed of the political arena. And I am sure, looking at that photo, that they each do not feel they need, or want, any part of it. They are both far better than that.

Another thing I see and feel from that photo is he is as damaged from the attack as she... maybe more. Maybe she's stronger than the big, bad astronaut. (no personal dig to him intended... it is no mean feat to succeed at that level)... he's hurting bad and I feel for them both.

[Tea for me]

06:23 AM on 01/26/2012

Hugs..((((( robadeaux ))))))..it is agonizing to be the spouse..to want so much for the return to as normal as possible..he is hurting for her and their future....but, I really believe he knows they will be ok:>)

Tea...Dems 2012

[Educated Black Man]

01:17 AM on 01/26/2012

Good luck Gabby!

[total frizz]

01:05 AM on 01/26/2012

Mark Kelly's image is what you will see when you go to the dictionary and look up "man". He could give lessons on manhood and commitment to a certain Republican presidential candidate.

[KIVPossum]

01:58 AM on 01/26/2012

That's the truth

[red white and blues]

12:58 AM on 01/26/2012

And another sad part of the story - a congresswoman is shot in broad daylight and a year later not a single new gun law is even discussed.

[Educated Black Man]

01:18 AM on 01/26/2012

New gun laws would not have prevented it.

[rkmerriman]

10:04 AM on 01/26/2012

Why not a law that says if you purchase a gun and kill someone you will (likely) be sent to jail as a murderer!! What a crock!! We need more gun laws like we need more polititions. A single fact that Liberals cannot seem to grasp is............ "Criminals do not obey laws only law abiding citizens do" !!! Law abiding citizens do not commit Murder!!!!!!

[red white and blues]

12:28 PM on 01/26/2012

It has nothing to do with liberal or conservative. It's too easy for mentally deranged people to get their hands on guns in America. An FBI study shows that the U.S. leads the world's richest nations in gun deaths - murder, suicides and accidental deaths due to guns.
What you fail to grasp is that every citizen is a law abiding one until they break the law. Every murder was committed by a person who was at least at one time a law abiding citizen. In addition, a child playing with a gun is not a criminal.
Responsible, "law abiding' citizens would not mind tighter restrictions on gun availability if they truly want to keep them out of the hands of children, mentally deranged, and depressed, pressured, soon-to-be non-law abiding citizens.