Dems tap Stacey Abrams to give response to Trump’s State of the Union

Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor last year in Georgia, will give the Democratic response to President Trump’s State of the Union speech next week, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced.

“Three weeks ago, I called Stacey Abrams and asked her to deliver the response, I was very delighted when she agreed,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday.

NEW: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announces Stacey Abrams will deliver the Democrats’ response to the State of the Union.

“She has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything else.” https://t.co/NkJuIoh4fP pic.twitter.com/tbXC2K0rZ5

— ABC News (@ABC) January 29, 2019

Abrams has previously served as the Democratic leader of the Georgia General Assembly. She unsuccessfully ran against Brian Kemp (R) for governor in November in what turned out to be a hotly contested election, with her receiving 48.8 percent of the vote.{mosads}

Trump’s rescheduled State of the Union address is set for Feb. 5. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday invited Trump to deliver the annual address after previously blocking plans for the speech during the partial government shutdown that ended last Friday.

Abrams’s invitation to deliver the Democratic response was first reported by MSNBC host Chris Hayes.

Delivering the response to a State of the Union can raise a politician’s profile, and leaders typically choose rising stars within their party for the task.

Last year’s Democratic response was delivered by Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.).

Abrams has met with Democrats, including Schumer, about the possibility of a Senate run next year following her 2018 campaign. Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) will be up for reelection in 2020.

“I need to make decisions not based on animus or bitterness or sadness, but really based in a pragmatism that says, ‘This is the right thing to do,’ ” Abrams said in a radio interview earlier this month.

“And I’m going to use that calculus and I intend to make a decision about the job I’m going to run for next by the end of March.”

Updated: 3:49 p.m.