Stacey Abrams will deliver the Democratic response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Her name is no stranger to Georgians after losing the race for Governor in 2018 against Republican Brian Kemp.
However, those outside the Peach State may wonder why she was tapped as the Democrat to give the rebuttal. Here is a look at the Abrams's background.
Her family
Abrams grew up in south Mississippi in the town of Gulfport with her parents and five siblings. She's the second oldest. Her family moved to Georgia and she attended DeKalb County Schools, graduating from Avondale High.
She's told 11Alive in the past her mom was the only one of seven siblings to finish high school, and her dad was the first in his family to graduate from college.
Abrams' credits her self-described determination and worth ethic to her upbringings. Her parents were role models. Stacey’s parents attended Emory University to pursue graduate studies in Divinity and become United Methodist ministers.
Her Education
After graduating from Avondale High, Abrams went to Spelman College. She also received degrees from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and Yale Law School.
Her Work in Politics
The Democrat became the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly in 2010.
The former state lawmaker served as the Minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives -- the first Black lead in the House. Throughout her career, she received numerous achievements and accomplishments.
Brian Kemp beat Abrams in a close November 2018 election for governor in Georgia.
She's passionate about education, election reform and had support during the election from people like Oprah Winfrey and former President Barack Obama. The race between Kemp and Abrams, brought the Georgia governor's race into the national spotlight, as she worked to flip the red state blue. If she had beaten Kemp, Abrams would have been the first Black woman to hold the position.
Since the election has ended, the group Fair Fight Action, which is backed by Abrams, has been advocating for fair elections.
By being tapped to present the Democratic response, the national visibility further fuels speculation that Abrams is angling to run for the US Senate seat presently occupied by US Sen. David Perdue. That seat will be up for grabs in 2020.
In the early part of January, Abrams visited Washington to meet with Senate Democrats. She reportedly spent time with Sens. Schumer and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Fun Facts
Abrams loves tea and to immerse herself in a good book. In fact, she's an accomplished author.
She's published eight books. She also loves country music.
