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Mayor Cherelle Parker will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

Parker, who took office in January as the city’s first female mayor, is seen by some as having the potential to develop a national profile.

When President Joe Biden, right, delivers his State of the Union address Thursday, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, left, will be in the audience. The president and mayor are pictured here at Philadundance in Philadelphia on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
When President Joe Biden, right, delivers his State of the Union address Thursday, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, left, will be in the audience. The president and mayor are pictured here at Philadundance in Philadelphia on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.

Parker will be a guest of U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Phila.), a longtime political ally of hers.

“She’s honored by the invitation, and genuinely is looking forward to hearing President Biden speaking on the State of the Union, and making his case to the American people on the many substantive accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration,” Parker spokesperson Joe Grace said.

» READ MORE: President Joe Biden will visit Philadelphia area following his State of the Union address

Parker, who took office in January as the city’s first female mayor, is seen by some as having the potential to develop a national profile. The mayor joined Biden at a Martin Luther King Day service event during her first weeks in office and she’s poised to be a key surrogate for him this election as Pennsylvania plays a crucial role.

Exactly one week after Thursday’s address, she’ll deliver Philly’s version of the State of the Union: the mayor’s budget address to City Council. As Parker’s first budget proposal, it will be a major moment in her career and will set the tone for her administration’s relationship with Council.

Parker isn’t the only Philly pol who will get more exposure from Biden’s address. The progressive Working Families Party has tapped Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke to deliver its response to the president’s speech.

This year’s State of the Union is expected to be an early inflection point in the presidential race, which appears headed toward a rematch of 2020′s contest between Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. It gives Biden a high-profile opportunity to recast his administration’s record and articulate his goals amid slumping poll numbers.

The day after his address, Biden will travel to the Philadelphia area to drive home his message in campaign events.