WASHINGTON — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will deliver the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Jan. 24, the office of House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday.
Daniels, who was touted as a possible GOP candidate for president in 2011, is popular among Republicans for his record of fiscal responsibility during his almost eight years as governor of the Hoosier State.
“Mitch Daniels is a fierce advocate for smaller, less costly, and more accountable government, and has the record to prove it,” Boehner said in a statement. “As governor, he has turned deficits into surplus, reformed government from top to bottom, and created a better environment for private-sector job creation.”
“It’s an honor to be asked,” Daniels said. “I hope to do the assignment justice.”
Daniels was elected governor in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.
The State of the Union address will take place Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.