Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is the designated survivor for President Biden’s first State of the Union address, a White House official said on Tuesday night.
Raimondo has served in Biden’s Cabinet since March 2021. As secretary of Commerce, she is 10th in the presidential line of succession.
Raimondo has been an integral part of the administration’s work on addressing the global semiconductor shortage and making the U.S. more competitive with nations such as China.
The designated survivor tradition involves a member of the president’s Cabinet staying at an undisclosed location during the State of the Union to preserve the government’s succession in the case of a catastrophic incident during the address at the Capitol. Vice President Harris and other Cabinet members are in attendance for the speech.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland shared a photograph of herself with other members of the Cabinet prior to the White House’s announcement, with Raimondo notably missing from it.
Raimondo was previously the governor of Rhode Island from 2015 to 2021 and before that was general treasurer of Rhode Island.