Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' decision to step down from her congressional seat opens up a wide-open race to fill her spot in her southeastern Arizona district.
It will set up not one but two entire elections cycles, with new congressional lines in each thanks to congressional redistricting.
Gov. Jan Brewer will call a special primary election sometime in April and then a general election in June to fill Gifford's seat in the 8th Congressional District. That will be followed by a regular primary and general election for the new 2nd District.
The three-term Democrat was widely considered a shoo-in for re-election because of her tragic shooting at a Tucson constituent meeting a year ago.
Her recovery was just short of miraculous, but in the end she decided she couldn't run again.
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