Alabama Sen. Katie Britt to deliver GOP's State of the Union response

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will deliver the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7.

“I am truly honored and grateful for the opportunity to speak directly to my fellow Americans and have a candid conversation about the future of our nation,” Britt said in a Thursday news release. "The Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families, and I’m looking forward to putting this critical perspective front and center.”

Britt, an Enterprise native who graduated from the University of Alabama and the UA School of Law, is in her first term in the U.S. Senate.

She holds the distinction of being the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama, and youngest Republican woman ever elected to the seat.

In the news release, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Britt was the ideal choice to deliver the Republicans’ message on national television.

“As the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate, Katie is fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation,” Johnson said.

McConnell called Britt “an unapologetic optimist.”

“She’s wasted no time becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats’ failures behind,” McConnell said.

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Britt succeeded Richard Shelby, who retired as the longest-serving U.S. senator from Alabama, by winning the seat in the 2023 election.

Britt worked with Shelby as the Tuscaloosa Republican’s press secretary, communications director and chief of staff, among other duties, before running for his seat.

She is married to Wesley Britt, a former University of Alabama football player, and the couple has two children.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama Sen. Katie Britt to deliver GOP's State of the Union response