Stacey Abrams will be the first person to rebut a State of the Union without holding public office

(Image credit: Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images For EMILY's List)

published 29 January 2019

Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate and former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, will deliver the Democratic Party's response to the State of the Union.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) confirmed Tuesday afternoon that he had asked Abrams to deliver the address, saying she is a "great spokesperson" and an "incredible leader," NBC News reports. Abrams accepted the invitation and said that she is "honored" to have been selected.

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The choice of Abrams is unusual in that the State of the Union response is typically given by someone currently in office; CBS News reports that there has only been one other example of a politician who doesn't hold statewide or federal office giving the rebuttal to the president's address: when Elizabeth Guzmán gave the Spanish language response last year, although even she was at the time a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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