Democrats on Friday selected Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to deliver their party’s official response to President Trump’s State of the Union address next month.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer also announced that Rep. Veronica Escobar, from a key border district in Texas, will deliver the address in Spanish.
Mr. Trump’s address is currently set for Feb. 4, potentially overlapping with an extended impeachment trial, though senators are expecting the proceedings to wrap up next week if no witnesses are called to testify.
Michigan is set to be a key battleground state in the 2020 election, both in the presidential race and down-ballot elections. Mr. Trump won Michigan by a narrow margin in 2016.
“During her time in public service, she has led the charge to expand health care to hundreds of thousands of people, expand protections for hard-working middle-class families and ensure clean drinking water in our communities,” Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, said in a statement about Ms. Whitmer. “Her decades of hard work on behalf of the people should serve as a model for our nation. She’s a forward-looking leader who is laser-focused on solving problems for everyday Michiganders and is uniquely qualified to deliver Democrats’ message of progress for all Americans.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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