Ashley Judd acknowledged the "elephant in the room" during her politically charged weekend in the District, but avoided tipping her hand during two public appearances.

Rampant speculation about a potential Kentucky Senate run surrounded the actress at George Washington University's School of Public Health and Health Services on Friday, where she peppered her speech with so

many references to her home state that at one point she apologized for being too Southern, joking: "This is Kentucky stuff, sorry."

Judd explained her activist roots by referring to her "Christian values" and love of U2 and openly discussed being a three-time survivor of rape, touching on pet policy issues such as reproductive health and violence against women.

Judd also received a humanitarian award from the Global India Fund at a Saturday night gala, accompanied on both occasions by her mother, Naomi Judd.

Lucy Westcott contributed this article.