Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt last year when a gunman shot her in the head, announced she will step down this week.
But not before she finishes the "Congress On Your Corner" event in Tucson that ended in a mass shooting on January 8, 2011. Giffords will also meet privately Monday with supporters, her office said in a statement.
In a moving video posted on her website Sunday, Giffords acknowledged that "A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that.”
“I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice," she said. "Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week.”
"I’m getting better. Every day my spirit is high. I will return,” she said, adding that “Arizona is my home, always will be."
The congresswoman and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, released a book last year in which Giffords vowed to return to Congress. A November interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer showed the nation the remarkable progress she made with the steadfast support of her husband.
“What he does, when no one thinks for sure she can surface, he just throws a rope and he is pulling her out and she is willing her way through this,” Sawyer said.
Arizona will hold a special election to fill the remainder of Giffords' term, Gov. Jan Brewer said in a statement.
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