The governor who gets to talk after Trump

The Hill -  Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is set to take the national stage following Trump’s address when she gives the Democratic response to the State of the Union. Spanberger’s selection continues what has been a notable few months for her.

She easily won Virginia’s gubernatorial race in November to become the commonwealth’s first female governor, flipping the governor’s mansion from red to blue. Her victory was seen as a sign of strong Democratic turnout heading into the midterms, as well as her own political prowess.

Now, she’s the latest in a line of high-profile figures who have given the opposition party’s official response to the president’s address. While those who have given the response have had mixed political futures, they all were seen as rising stars within their party when they were chosen.

Spanberger’s speech is one of several ways Democrats are planning to respond and protest Trump’s address Tuesday.

Several House and Senate Democrats plan to skip Trump’s speech entirely to attend other events opposing his agenda. One of them is a counterrally called the “People’s State of the Union,” held on the National Mall.

Democrats are also expected to invite various guests to the speech to call attention to controversies of Trump’s presidency, including survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and those impacted by immigration enforcement actions.