Gov. Abigail Spanberger to Deliver Democrats’ State of the Union Response

Democrats picked Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia to deliver their response to President Trump’s State of the Union address. Spanberger, a former congresswoman, flipped a red seat in 2018 and won the Virginia governorship last November by 15 points. Representative Hakeem Jeffries chose her because her gubernatorial campaign emphasized affordability and prosecuting the case against Mr.

Trump as a model for winning races nationwide. Spanberger said she planned to use the speech to address the issues Americans face at a pivotal moment: "rising costs, chaos in their communities, and a real fear of what each day might bring." At 46, she is a moderate and a former undercover C.I.A.

officer. The selection echoes last year’s choice of Senator Elissa Slotkin, another centrist with national security credentials, but Spanberger is not seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender. Televised responses can boost a lawmaker's profile, yet they have been botched by many promising officials and are now regarded as almost cursed.

United States, Virginia

abigail spanberger, democratic response, virginia governor, hakeem jeffries, president trump, affordability, rising costs, cia officer, elissa slotkin, moderate