Antonio Villaraigosa, the mayor of L.A., will respond to President Bush’s state of the Union address on the part of his party, the Democrats, in Spanish:

Villaraigosa has been seen as a rising Democratic star since his election in May as the first Hispanic in 133 years to lead Los Angeles, the country’s second-largest city. He will deliver his remarks from his Los Angeles office, said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

“Mayor Villaraigosa is working hard to increase economic opportunity and provide affordable and quality education for the people of Los Angeles,” Reid and Pelosi said in a joint statement Wednesday. “As the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles in more than a century, we are proud to have his diverse voice within the party.”

Via / AP