Gov. Dunleavy to attend State of Union address as Arkansas senator’s guest

JUNEAU — Gov. Mike Dunleavy is set to attend this year’s State of the Union address as a guest of U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas.

Boozman, the ranking Republican on the Senate’s Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committee, visited Alaska last summer as a part of a trip to see what farming looks like across the nation, Kodiak public radio station KMXT reported in August. He visited a farm in the village of Ouzinkie, among other stops.

President Joe Biden is set to deliver this year’s State of the Union address on Thursday at 5 p.m. Alaska time.

Dunleavy, who has been a frequent critic of Biden, posted on social media Tuesday, confirming that he would attend the State of the Union after being invited by Boozman.

“I’m honored to be his guest and eager to collaborate on critical issues like agriculture and food security. Looking forward to the discussions ahead!” Dunleavy said.

A spokesperson for Boozman’s office said in a prepared statement Tuesday that Arkansas’ senior senator appreciated the warm hospitality he received from Dunleavy and Republican U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan while visiting Alaska.

Boozman and Dunleavy “continued to stay in touch regarding food production and nutrition policies, and the senator has enjoyed establishing a dialogue on these and other critical issues,” the statement said.

The governor’s office confirmed Monday that Dunleavy would be in Washington, D.C., this week “on state business” for a long-planned trip, but questions from the Daily News about the purpose of the trip went unanswered.

All 535 members of Congress can invite one guest to the State of the Union, and they’ll sit in galleries overlooking the House floor, according to CNN.

“When Sen. Boozman learned the governor would be in Washington during the State of the Union address, he thought extending his guest invitation to Gov. Dunleavy would be a good way to build on their positive working relationship,” the statement from Boozman’s office said.

Dunleavy met with Boozman, along with several other federal lawmakers, in October on another trip to D.C., according to the governor’s public calendar. Jeff Turner, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, told the Northern Journal in December that he had no information to provide about those meetings.