Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, delivered its response to the State of the Union from southwest Atlanta.

The former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who donned a white brooch as a hat tip to the suffragettes, set a personal tone, starting off what might be considered her biggest spotlight moment to date, talking about her childhood, saying that her family “went back and forth between lower middle class and working poor.

Yet, even when they came home weary and bone-tired, my parents found a way to show us all who we could be.” She added that “faith, service, education and responsibility” were their family values.

“Our power and strength as Americans lives in our hard work and our belief in more…..but we do not succeed alone – in these United States, when times are tough, we can persevere because our friends and neighbors will come for us," Abrams said.

Recalling distributing meals to furloughed federal workers during the recent shutdown, Abrams said that making Federal Workers’ “livelihoods a pawn for political games is a disgrace. The shutdown was a stunt engineered by the President of the United States, one that defied every tenet of fairness and abandoned not just our people - but our values.”

Regarding the immigration debate, Abrams said “we know bipartisanship could craft a 21st century immigration plan, but this administration chooses to cage children and tear families apart. Compassionate treatment at the border is not the same as open borders.” Adding “America is made stronger by the presence of immigrants – not walls.”

Abrams, who’s own race was mired in controversy over voter irregularities, said there is much this country can do, “But none of these ambitions are possible without the bedrock guarantee of our right to vote."

"Let’s be clear: voter suppression is real. From making it harder to register and stay on the rolls to moving and closing polling places to rejecting lawful ballots, we can no longer ignore these threats to democracy. While I acknowledged the results of the 2018 election here in Georgia – I did not and we cannot accept efforts to undermine our right to vote.”

Abrams continued, “in this time of division and crisis, we must come together and stand for, and with, one another. America has stumbled time and again on its quest towards justice and equality; but with each generation, we have revisited our fundamental truths, and where we falter, we make amends.”

As she wrapped up her remarks, Abrams said “even as I am very disappointed by the president’s approach to our problems – I still don’t want him to fail. But we need him to tell the truth, and to respect his duties and the extraordinary diversity that defines America.”

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