Summer Lee to deliver State of the Union response for progressive Working Families Party

The Working Families Party has picked U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, to deliver its response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.

“I’m going to elevate the voices of the people in my district and across the country who are angry, scared and fed up with an administration that’s done nothing to help and a lot to hurt everyday people,” Lee said in a statement.

“And I’m going to say what too many politicians won’t,” Lee added. “The system is rigged, the obscenely wealthy are profiting from it and working people deserve more than scraps.”

Lee is a Democrat who aligns with the Working Families Party’s progressive policies. The Working Families Party endorsed Lee during her first primary race in 2022.

The party has supported a number of successful candidates. Last year, it endorsed winning mayoral candidates Zohran Mandani in New York, Katie Wilson in Seattle and Shenise Turner-Sloss in Dayton — all of whom, like Lee, are registered as Democrats.

The party is endorsing several candidates in upcoming Democratic primaries. One of them, Analilia Mejia, has already secured the Democratic nomination in a congressional race in New Jersey, where she serves as director of the Working Families Party’s state chapter.

Candidates appearing on ballots solely as members of the Working Families Party have had more limited success, but they have notched wins to claim two seats on Philadelphia City Council and other state and local offices.

This is the ninth annual response to the State of the Union Address for the Working Families Party. The Democratic Party also is delivering a response to the president’s address. It chose Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, regarded by many as a centrist or moderate Democrat, to deliver its response.

As for the choice of Lee, Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell said, “Congresswoman Summer Lee is the kind of leader this moment demands. She’s fearless, rooted in working-class communities, and unafraid to take on both MAGA extremism and corporate power.”