A Berks County physical therapist, a Pennsylvania union leader and a New Jersey nonprofit leader are some of the special guests that will be attending President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in the U.S. Capitol building on Tuesday night.
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Rep. Madeleine Dean (D), whose district spans most of Montgomery County and parts of Berks and Philadelphia counties, has invited an affordable health care advocate from Fleetwood to the presidential address. Lisa Boone Bogacki became an activist after the sudden death of her husband Gary left her a single mother of three with no employer-sponsored health insurance. In the fall, the longtime physical therapist testified before Congress in support of the Affordable Care Act.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) will bring Cathy Rowe, the executive director of New Jersey Advocates for Aging Well. Her nonprofit works to support the state’s aging residents through policy advocacy and education; Kim has spoken about his experiences caring for his father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease last year.
Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) has invited a third-generation steel worker from western Pennsylvania. Jason Zugai is the vice president, and former president, of the United Steelworkers Local 2227 chapter. He met McCormick during the senator’s 2024 campaign, where they discussed the Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel partnership.
It’s unclear if Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) or any additional representatives from the wider Philadelphia region will bring special guests to the State of the Union. But an aspiring Pennsylvania governor is going. State Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R), who is running against Gov. Josh Shapiro in the 2026 gubernatorial race, will accompany Rep. Glenn Thompson (R) of central Pennsylvania to the event.
Rep. Dwight Evans (D), whose district spans much of Philadelphia, will not attend the address in protest of the Trump administration’s “lawless immigration raids” and “reckless tariffs.” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D), who represents Delaware County and parts of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, will also skip the State of the Union in favor of the “People’s State of the Union,” a counter address from several progressive lawmakers.
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