The Republican response to the State of the Union address is a high-profile opportunity for the party to rebut President Obama’s message and lay out GOP priorities just weeks before primary voters head to the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire.

The odds are against one of the 12 remaining presidential candidates giving the official response on Jan. 12. Party leaders’ will likely announce their decision about who will get that assignment shortly after the New Year.

The previous two speechmakers, House Republican Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers and freshman Sen. Joni Ernst, earned high marks for their performances, but the State of the Union rebuttal has a perilous history.

In the first response to Obama, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a failed presidential contender this year, fell flat, giving an awkward, speedy performance that was widely panned. The following year, Republicans chose Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a once-ascendant GOP star who earlier this year was sentenced to two years in prison on corruption charges. In 2012, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels gave the address after having decided against a presidential run and has since left politics entirely. In 2013, Sen. Marco Rubio, now a presidential candidate, infamously reached for his water bottle in the middle of the speech, a moment that distracted entirely from the substance of his remarks and still follows him around on the campaign trail (though Rubio himself still jokes about it good-naturedly).

The pitfalls are hard to avoid: The president’s speech is in front of a large audience of lawmakers, other government officials and VIPs, often interrupted by applause and standing ovations and usually lasts around an hour. The Republican response is in front of a single camera with no audience, no applause, and usually lasts around 10 minutes.

The opposition reply has also had its more positive history, though. In 2011, Rep. Paul Ryan, then the newly minted chairman of the House Budget Committee, gave a speech on spending priorities and combating the increasing debt and deficit, which won him high praise. Ryan was selected as the vice presidential nominee the following year and now serves as speaker of the House.

Given the perils and pluses the address can bring, Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have several factors to consider in weighing their selection this year.

According to Dave Schnittger, a former top aide to retired Speaker John Boehner, the GOP often looks to select someone who is a “rising star” in the party. None of the previous speakers had been relative unknowns, but none had been a top party leader either. McMorris Rodgers was in a lower tier of the House leadership team when she spoke; Ryan was well known for his strict budget proposals; and Ernst had won one of the highest-profile Senate races in 2014.

Republicans “typically focus on someone … with a good personal story that connects with regular Americans and also someone who has the communications chops to deliver the address in a compelling fashion,” Schnittger said.

Ron Bonjean, a former top House and Senate aide, pointed out that in the last three years, Republicans have chosen women or Hispanics, and said he expects that trend to continue in an election year.

“Since Republicans need to build a coalition of voters for November, they should probably continue with the trend [from] the past couple of years by choosing Republican women and Hispanic Members of Congress,” Bonjean said in an email. “Having a white male give the response might not be the best direction to head in order to send a message that Republicans have a broader message and reach to all Americans.”

Possibilities this year include South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, the first Hispanic elected to state-wide office in the Silver State; Rep. Mia Love, the first black Republican woman elected to Congress; and Rep. Elise Stefanik, the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress.

If Republicans chose to go a more traditional route, freshmen Sens. Ben Sasse and Tom Cotton could be contenders as could Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Another peril for the response giver is the competition. Not only is he or she being measured against a prime-time presidential address to Congress and the nation, but also against dozens of other Republicans itching to respond.

Last year, there were five State of the Union response speeches: Ernst’s; a Spanish-language response from Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.); a Tea Party response from Rep. Curt Clawson (R-Fla.); and YouTube responses from Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, both now presidential candidates. Then add in the flood of statements and television appearances by lawmakers eager to have their take heard.

While it’s unclear how many responses there will be in 2016, the chief GOP speaker will have to contend with at least the Tea Party response, plus 13 presidential candidates weighing in on cable news.

In the end, it’s a high-stakes situation with both the potential to vault the speaker into the limelight, or get their name in the news for an unfortunate gaffe or poor performance. But with 2016 voting in the wings, it’s a critical moment for Republicans to lay out their priorities, and could potentially increase the up-and-coming status of whomever Republicans select to speak.