CONGRESS/DEMS/ELECTION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Stacey Abrams, who nearly became both the first African-American and first woman to be governor of Georgia, will deliver the Democrats’ response to the State of the Union address on Tuesday [2-5-19], test-driving the party’s 2020 challenge to President Donald Trump. After losing a Southern state that Trump won in 2016 by less than 60,000 votes in November, Abrams has emerged as a ‘bona fide leader’ among Democrats, said Jaime Harrison, a senior counselor and co-chair of the Democratic National Committee. ‘The 2020 folks will be listening to her and looking to what they can adopt to their message from her own.’ Abrams, 45, said she plans to deliver a speech talking about ‘prosperity and equality’ in a country ‘where everyone in our nation has a voice.’ In his State of the Union address, Trump is expected to make extensive remarks about his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, while also arguing that he should be reelected in 2020, touting his achievements so far and laying out the future.”
–Reuters, “‘Bona Fide Leader’ of Democrats, Stacey Abrams to Counter Trump Speech,” The New York Times online, February 5, 2019