Stacey Abrams to deliver Democratic response to State of the Union

Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address next week.

Adams, who also served as Democratic leader of Georgia's House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017, accepted an invitation from Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer to deliver the response following Trump's address, which is scheduled for Feb. 5.

"At a moment when our nation needs to hear from leaders who can unite for a common purpose, I am honored to be delivering the Democratic State of the Union response," Abrams wrote on Twitter.

Schumer said he called Abrams last week to ask her to deliver the response because "she has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything else," the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.

Abrams was defeated by Republican opponent Brian Kemp in Georgia's gubernatorial race last year and refused to formally concede due to what she described as irregularities in the election after Kemp declined to step down as the state's top elections official.

Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached an agreement Monday to hold the State of the Union address in the Capitol's House Chamber on Feb. 5.

Pelosi had previously announced she wouldn't invite Trump to host the State of the Union in the House Chamber until the 35-day government shutdown was ended.

Trump initially said he would seek a new venue, before agreeing to wait for the invitation to deliver the address in the House Chamber. Two days later, he signed a short-term spending bill that reopened the federal government and ended the longest shutdown in U.S. history.