Reardon, Arizona congresswoman met in leadership group
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, January 11, 2011
EVERETT — Among the local officials who have personal connections to the Arizona congresswoman wounded in a shooting spree Saturday is Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.
Reardon got to know U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., through the Democrati
c Leadership Council, a national organization of centrist Democrats. They met more than a decade ago, Reardon said, when they were both young members of their respective state legislatures. Reardon said they had a lot in common, including age — they’re now both 40— and shared similar political leanings.
“We’re all just praying for her and talking about what we can do for her and her family,” Reardon said Monday. “Personality-wise, she’s very approachable, very nice, has a very nice smile. She has a tremendous energy that you pick up on when you first meet her.”
Giffords, a third-term congresswoman for Arizona’s 8th District, was shot through the head Saturday morning at a Tucson shopping center, where she was meeting with constituents. Six people, including a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, were killed in the attack. Another 13 were wounded.
Giffords was expected to survive.
Jared Lee Loughner, a 22-year-old who has left a trail of strange rants on the Internet, was arrested at the scene, and charged Monday.
Reardon said an Arizona lawmaker he knows called him with the news shortly after the attack.
This weekend, members of Washington’s congressional delegation, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Rick Larsen, also released statements about Giffords.
For now, Reardon said he’s not planning to cancel any meetings with the public. He’s worried, though, that the violence will have a chilling effect on voters, making them afraid to attend public events with politicians.
“I’ve talked to constituents already who have expressed concerns about going to these kinds of meetings, given this event,” he said. “The public loses out on the opportunity to weigh what’s going on and weigh the very heavy decisions in front of them.”
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
