First Lady Jill Biden‘s guests at President Joe Biden‘s State of the Union address tonight will include Maria Shriver, singer and civil rights advocate Bettie Mae Fikes and UAW President Shawn Fain.
The list of guests who will join the first lady in her box in the House chamber typically gives an indication of the topics that the president will address during his speech. The address, to start at 6 p.m. PT, will be one of the president’s best opportunities to reach a substantial audience, as it is aired across broadcast and cable networks. That is particularly important this year as he runs for reelection.
Shriver, the former first lady of California, is the founder of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement and strategic adviser on women’s health and Alzheimer’s at the Cleveland Clinic.
Fikes, known as the “voice of Selma,” served as a member of Selma’s Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. She participated in what became known as Bloody Sunday in 1965. The State of the Union is taking place on its 49th anniversary.
Other guests:
Latorya Beasley, of Birmingham, AL, who with her husband were preparing to have another child through IVF. But her embryo transfer was canceled as a result of the state Supreme Court decision that restricted IVF.
Kris Blackley, of Fort Mill, SC, an oncology nurse who has published research to improve health outcomes through patient navigation.
Jazmin Cazares, of Uvalde, TX, who has become an advocate for gun violence prevention after her sister was killed at Robb Elementary School.
Kate Cox, of Dallas, TX, who spoke out on the state’s abortion ban after she had to travel out of state for care.
Samantha Ervin-Upsher, of Pittsburgh, an apprentice with United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 432, who met the first lady during a visit to highlight the Investing In America Workforce Hub.
Steven Hadfield, of Matthews, NC, who has a rare blood cancer and is a diabetic who has seen his drug costs drop due to caps in the Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare price negotiation.
Mayor Garnett L. Johnson, of Augusta, GA, whose city is one of five Investing In America Workplace Hubs.
Keenan Jones, of Plymouth, MN, a public middle school educator who sent an email to the president thanking him for the student loan forgiveness program.
Natalie King, of Detroit, the CEO of Dunamis Charge, the first African-American women-owned electric vehicle charger manufacturer in the U.S.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, whose country formally joined the NATO Alliance today.
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, the fourth term governor of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, who has helped transform how tribal governmental infrastructure is constructed.
Commander Shelby Nikitin of Wakefield, MA, who was awarded the Bronze Star for her command of the U.S.S. Thomas Hudner, deployed to protect maritime shipping from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Justin Phillips, of Indianapolis, the founder and CEO of Overdose Lifeline, a non-profit dedicated to preventing deaths from opioid and fentanyl overdoses. Phillips is a guest of Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Kameryn Pupunu, of Lahaina, HI, a police officer in Maui who saved 15 individuals in the deadly wildfires.
Dawn Simms, of Davis Junction, IL, a member of the UAW Local 126 and third-generation autoworker on the Belvidere, IL assembly line.
Rashawn Spivey, of Milwaukee, WI, who expanded his plumbing business, due to the administration’s initiative to replace all lead pipes in the U.S. over the next decade, via funding from the infrastructure law and the American Rescue Plan.
Tiffany Zoeller, of Fayetteville, NC, a military spouse who introduced the president at an event in June. Biden announced an executive order to support spouse’s career stablity.
The president has been previewing the speech on social media, and released a video on X/Twitter.
