Governors' inaugural celebration plans, by state

Inaugural plans and how they will be funded in the states swearing in new and re-elected governors, and for the new mayor of the District of Columbia.

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ALABAMA

Republican Gov. Robert Bentley will be sworn in to a second term on Jan. 19. It will begin with a church service, then the inaugural ceremony on the Capitol steps and an inaugural parade. That is followed by a free reception in the afternoon and a ticketed party at night. In Alabama, the governor has to raise money to pay for his festivities. Bentley released his donors last time even though state law doesn't require it.

Bentley raised $1.6 million for his 2011 inauguration, including $100,000 each from Alabama Power Co. and Ready Mix USA, $75,000 from Regions Bank, and $50,000 each from BBVA Compass Bank and the Alabama Hospital Association. Bentley's inaugural fund ended up with $300,000 unspent, which he donated to the state general fund.

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ALASKA

Inaugural committee spokeswoman Lindsay Hobson, Walker's daughter, said she does not have information about the total cost expected for the events, in part because they are organized locally rather than by a single entity. Tickets ranging between $50 and $100 will offset some of the costs of the inaugural balls. Volunteer efforts by local clubs and fraternal organizations help keep costs down, she said.

Hobson said the corporate sponsors helping pay for the event in Valdez are Copper Valley Telecom and Safeway. The city of Valdez is among the sponsors and has authorized spending as much as $12,000. Small donations by others total about $1,500, and the governor's inaugural committee contributed $5,000.

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ARIZONA

Incoming Republican Gov. Doug Ducey will have a reception on the Capitol grounds Monday immediately after being sworn in. No parties or events are planned.

ARKANSAS

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson will be sworn in Jan. 13. Events include a sold out, $100-a-person, black tie-optional inaugural ball at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. The former congressman's inaugural festivities also include a $25-a-person "Red, White & BBQ Inaugural Party" Jan. 12 at a downtown Little Rock children's museum. The inaugural committee also planned four other barbecues around the state, with tickets costing $15.

Money for the inaugural activities is being raised through the Republican Party of Arkansas, which is required to file quarterly fundraising reports with the state. The sponsorship packages being offered range from $2,000 for "Governor's Supporters" to $25,000 or more for the "Governor's Circle." Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said the sponsorship packages were set at the same levels outgoing Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe used for his 2011 inauguration. Davis said the inaugural committee planned to release the donor list later.

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CALIFORNIA

By comparison, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, held lavish affairs, including a black tie gala for 2,000 people, and raised millions for his two inaugurations.

Brown received $515,000 in donations for his 2011 inaugural celebration, more than six times the amount his transition team actually spent. According to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, Brown raised $340,000 from 68 donors who each contributed $5,000. Among those who gave at Brown's behest were the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, California new car dealers, consumer attorneys and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Another $64,280 was in-kind contributions for food and drinks. The origin of the rest of the contributions is not clear from public documents.

Much of the money raised by the inaugural committee has been used to defray the governor's rent for a Sacramento loft because the state does not have an official residence for the governor.

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Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper will be sworn in to a second term on Jan. 13. The main event is the inaugural concert at the Ogden Theatre, combining Hickenlooper's love for music, craft beer and a big party. The event features Colorado bands Nathaniel Rateliff, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, String Cheese Incident and the Lumineers. Tickets cost $75, with proceeds to charities. Earlier, the inaugural committee will host a cocktail hour and dinner at the Fillmore Auditorium, with tickets costing $100 per person. Ben Davis, a spokesman for the inauguration committee, said a list of donors who gave $100 or more, and how much they gave, will be released at some point in the future.

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CONNECTICUT

Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be sworn in for a second term Jan. 7. Before the ceremony, Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman will walk in an inaugural parade through the streets of Hartford. The ceremony is organized by the Connecticut National Guard, and Malloy's spokesman said the event is funded by the state.

The inaugural ball that night is funded entirely by revenue raised through ticket sales. Tickets cost $200, or $2,500 for a table of 10.

DELAWARE

No inauguration. The next governor's race will be in 2016.

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Democratic mayor-elect Muriel Bowser had raised $830,000 for her inaugural celebrations as of Dec. 10, when her inaugural committee filed its most recent financial report. The maximum contribution is $10,000, and corporate donations are allowed.

Bowser's transition team did not provide details on the total costs of the celebrations. The inaugural ball will be headlined by pop singer-songwriter Sheila E.

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FLORIDA

Republican Gov. Rick Scott has scaled back his inauguration-related activities this year. There's no ball and no parade, but rather a week of informal barbecues at businesses held in December. His supporters plan to hold a benefit for veterans, a prayer breakfast and a reception at the governor's mansion after Tuesday's inauguration.

So far, nearly $800,000 has been raised for the events, most of it from people and companies with a stake in what happens in the state Capitol.

Scott's spokeswoman, Jackie Schutz, said the barbecues at businesses around the state are meant to focus attention on employers and job creation.

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GEORGIA

Republican Gov. Nathan Deal's inauguration week includes a gala at an indoor arena near Atlanta featuring county music star Alan Jackson and other Georgia musicians. A similar event for Deal's first inauguration in 2011 was canceled because of an ice storm but rescheduled later that year. Deal will be sworn in for his second term at a public ceremony on a new plaza near the state Capitol on Jan. 12, followed by the gala three days later.

Deal's inaugural committee hasn't yet released donor details or an expected cost for this year's events. The 2011 inaugural festivities cost about $1.3 million and included contributions from corporate and individual donors, with larger contributions ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. AT&T, Home Depot, Delta Airlines and utility Georgia Power were among the inaugural contributors four years ago. Representatives for Home Depot and Georgia Power confirmed this week that the companies plan to contribute again this year but said they did not have more details.

As if to underscore the ties between corporations and gubernatorial inaugurals, the Coca-Cola Co. announced it is combining the celebration of Deal's second inauguration with the 100th anniversary of the Coca-Cola contour bottle to produce a special 8 oz. glass bottle for the inauguration events.

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HAWAII

Democratic Gov. David Ige was sworn-in on Dec. 1, taking the oath of office in the state Capitol in a ceremony that featured hula dancers, conch-shell calls and ukulele serenades. An aloha business attire celebration was held in early December at the Hawaii Convention Center with a no-host cocktail reception. The David Ige Inauguration Organization charged $75 per ticket, or $2,500 for a 10-person table. Tickets sold out before the event. Ige spokesman Ryan Tsuji said the ticket sales covered the costs of the event.

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Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter will be sworn in for his third term Jan. 9. An inaugural ball will be held later that day in the state Capitol, where the ceremony has been held for the past 100 years. Tickets will be sold for $25 each.

Otter's spokesman, Jon Hanian, said he did not know whether companies or individuals were asked to donate to the event.

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ILLINOIS

Incoming Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner chose to forgo the traditional inaugural ball and celebrate his Jan. 12 inauguration with a concert starring country singer Toby Keith, with tickets selling for $125 each. He also is holding a $1,000-per-seat formal dinner the night before his swearing-in ceremony. Other events are free, including an open house with Rauner and his wife at the Old State Capitol, admission to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and an "Illinois is Back" expo featuring Illinois companies and products.

In 2011, more than a dozen corporations and organizations helped pay for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn's festivities, including Motorola, Microsoft and the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois.

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INDIANA

No inauguration. Current governor was elected in 2012.

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Gov. Terry Branstad is planning a black tie-optional inaugural ball to celebrate the beginning of his historic sixth term in office. Tickets to the ball, scheduled for Jan. 16 at a convention center in Des Moines, cost $75. Proceeds will go partly to a college scholarship fund that bears his name.

Tommy Schultz, a spokesman for Branstad's inaugural committee, said the ticket revenue will "defray a significant portion of the costs associated with the ball," but that other donations will cover the rest of the cost for the ball and other events. He said sponsorship packages range from $5,000 to $100,000 each. The goal is to match or exceed the $700,000 that Branstad's 2011 inauguration raised for scholarships, he said.

He declined to release the budget for the festivities, but it was roughly $300,000 in 2011

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KANSAS

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KENTUCKY

No inauguration. Next governor's race is in 2015.

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LOUISIANA

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MAINE

Republican Gov. Paul LePage will be sworn in for a second term on Wednesday, with a party scheduled for that evening that will include live music, food and a cash bar. The events are being funded through donations by companies and individuals. The list of contributors has not yet been released. A thank-you party for supporters of LePage's campaign is being held the night before the inauguration with a suggested donation of $3,000 per person, or $8,000 for a party of four.

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MARYLAND

The governor's office did not respond when asked whether private donations were being solicited and in what amounts.

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MASSACHUSETTS

Republican Gov.-elect Charlie Baker will be sworn in to his first term on Jan. 8, replacing outgoing Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who did not seek re-election. He has an inaugural party later that day at the Boston convention center, with tickets selling for $50 each. The next day, Baker plans a celebration in Worcester, about 45 miles west of Boston, that is free and open to the public.

At least 16 companies and individuals have given $25,000 each to the inauguration committee, the self-imposed cap on donations set by Baker. Those donating the maximum include New Balance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, Cumberland Farms and the trustees of Boston University.

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MICHIGAN

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder was sworn in on New Year's Day to a second term. The costs for the inauguration events are being covered with private donations and sales of $150 tickets to Thursday night's gala. Snyder's inaugural committee would not say how much it planned to raise or spend.

For his 2011 inauguration, the group Celebrating the Power of Michigan raised $1.4 million and did not have to publicly disclose its donors. It spent nearly $303,000 on the inauguration itself, according to an IRS filing.

Another $900,000 went to Snyder's New Energy to Reinvest and Diversify fund, which was disbanded in 2013. He later announced a more transparent fund after facing scrutiny for using the New Energy money to pay for, among other things, a top government aide's salary and some expenses for Detroit's emergency manager.

MINNESOTA

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton will be sworn in Monday in an official ceremony. His party five days later will be laid back, with jeans the clothing option of choice. An inaugural committee run by the governor's political advisers is raising private money, and regular campaign donation limits don't apply. Other costs will be covered by admission to the party, where tickets range from $15 for students to $35 for others. The donors will not be disclosed until tax filings are made later in the year.

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MISSISSIPPI

No inauguration. Next governor's race is 2015.

MISSOURI

No inauguration. Current governor was re-elected in 2012.

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MONTANA

No inauguration. Current governor was elected in 2012.

NEBRASKA

Incoming Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts is hosting an inaugural dinner and dance at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, two days after his swearing-in on Jan. 8. Two tiers of tickets are available to the general public: a $75 "dinner plan" that includes a meal and a $25 "dessert plan" that allows access to the main program, the dance gala and parking. The event's cost will be covered by ticket sales and private funding.

Organizers have created a nonprofit corporation, the Governor Ricketts Inaugural Committee, to raise money and sell tickets. They're soliciting money from both individual and corporate donors, who will be disclosed on a printed program for the event once it takes place. Organizers declined to release specific numbers, saying they are fluid and that money is being raised to cover expenses as they arise.

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NEVADA

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NEW JERSEY

No inauguration. Gov. Chris Christie won re-election in 2013. His inauguration day, Jan. 21, 2014, coincided with a snowstorm in New Jersey that forced him to cancel his inaugural festivities at Ellis Island. His campaign directed that food from the $500-a-person event be donated to food pantries in Jersey City.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

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NEW MEXICO

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez kicked off her inaugural celebration with a gala in southern New Mexico. The festivities continued New Year's Eve with a blessing and Mass in Santa Fe, the state's capital. A public swearing-in ceremony followed on New Year's Day in the Capitol. The governor capped off the day with the "New Mexico True" inaugural ball in Albuquerque, headlined by the country group Lonestar. Tickets were $100 a person.

Danny Diaz, a Martinez campaign spokesman, said the ball was being funded entirely by private donations and that the amounts would be disclosed after the events. He would not say how much the inaugural events were expected to cost.

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Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo had a business-like inauguration for his second term, starting with an official swearing in last Wednesday at the Executive Mansion in Albany. An open house for the public, for those who got tickets in advance, was scheduled that afternoon.

Cuomo delivered his inaugural address Thursday at One World Trade Center in New York City.

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NORTH CAROLINA

No inauguration. Current governor was elected in 2012.

NORTH DAKOTA

No inauguration. Current governor was elected in 2012.

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OHIO

Republican Gov. John Kasich plans a "Family Day at the Statehouse" on the Saturday before his inauguration, which is scheduled for Jan. 12, as well as an inaugural ball. He will hold a second, more elaborate swearing-in ceremony later at the historic Great Southern Theater in downtown Columbus.

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OKLAHOMA

Republican Gov. Mary Fallin is planning a series of events leading up to her Jan. 12 swearing-in. Festivities include an inaugural ball at the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The ball is private and requires a ticket. The inaugural events are funded by individual private donors. Although this year's expected spending has not been released, Fallin raised and spent more than $1 million four years ago. Major contributors included the Chickasaw Nation ($25,000), Devon Energy Corp. ($26,000), and several banks, utilities and other private companies.

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OREGON

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PENNSYLVANIA

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf will be sworn in Jan. 20. Events include an evening "Let's Get Started" inaugural celebration, to be held at the Hershey Lodge with "celebratory attire" recommended. The governor's transition committee is raising money from private sources for the inaugural celebration and is limiting contributions to $50,000 per donor. Wolf has promised to publicly disclose the donors on Jan. 15 and again on March 30. Meanwhile, the committee is refusing to discuss its budget or how much has been raised.

Tickets to the evening celebration are $50 for students and people 65 and older, and $100 for everyone else.

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Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo will be sworn in Tuesday and celebrate with a variety of events. They include a public art display that features small bonfires on rivers in downtown Providence. She also will have a reception at a restaurant near the waterfront. The inaugural events will be privately funded, with individual donations capped at $15,000.

The inaugural committee says it will make the list of donors public when the fundraising ends. Contributors will be Rhode Island companies and well-to-do individuals.

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Gov. Nikki Haley will be sworn in to a second term Jan. 14, with a $250-per-couple inaugural gala that night at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. A "family fun night" at the South Carolina State Museum will precede inauguration day.

Some of South Carolina's largest manufacturers and energy companies provided about half of that. Boeing Inc., Duke Energy, Progress Energy and SCANA Corp. were among those donating $25,000 each. MeadWestvaco Corp., Altria, the nation's largest cigarette maker, and Michelin North America each gave $15,000. BMW Manufacturing gave $10,000. The automaker's former spokesman, Bobby Hitt, is Haley's commerce secretary.

Eight insurance companies gave at least $5,000. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, which administers state employees' health plan, gave the most at $25,000. Aflac gave $20,000.

Haley's campaign manager Tim Pearson says they expect to spend about the same amount on this year's inaugural events, and her fundraisers are seeking donations in the same range, between $5,000 and $25,000.

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SOUTH DAKOTA

Ticket sales and private donations fund the events, and dozens of people and organizations provide in-kind contributions such as bottled water and transportation.

Among those providing private donations are 17 corporate sponsors giving in amounts ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. They are: Black Hills Corp.; Touchstone Energy Cooperatives; NorthWestern Energy; Iberdrola Renewables; Avera Health; SDN Communications; First Premier Bank; South Dakota Ethanol Producers; BNSF; MDU Resources Group Inc.; Pfizer; Dacotah Banks; State Farm; Otter Tail Corp.; Energy Transfer; Delta Dental; and Altria.

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TENNESSEE

Gov. Bill Haslam will be sworn in on Jan. 17. Inauguration festivities will be similar to those in 2011, but without the parade. The donation limits are $2,500 for individuals and $7,500 for corporations and political action committees. Tickets to the ball at a downtown hotel are $50, or $250 if with dinner included.

TEXAS

Incoming Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has booked country superstars Lady Antebellum to headline his Jan. 20 inaugural celebration, which includes a parade through Austin to the state Capitol. Those who attend will not be going hungry: An afternoon barbecue at the Texas Capitol will include four tons of brisket and a mile's worth of jalapeno sausage.

Organizers are aiming to raise $4 million through a mix of private donations and ticket sales, including $75 for the "Future of Texas" ball. Abbott's inauguration committee is a list of powerful Republican megadonors, including Walmart heiress Alice Walton and West Texas energy magnate Javaid Anwar. Abbott spokesman John Wittman said the committee is not required to disclose donors but that major underwriters can be gleaned through signage and event programs.

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UTAH

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VERMONT:

No formal inauguration plans.

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VIRGINIA

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WASHINGTON

No inauguration. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee was elected in 2012. The state has an independent way of funding its inaugural celebrations. The parties are planned and run by a non-partisan, nonprofit committee of citizen volunteers. All costs are covered by the $100 ticket prices paid by attendees, although a few corporate sponsors, such as Microsoft or Bank of America, sometimes pay for their own receptions beforehand for VIP-attendees

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WEST VIRGINIA

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WISCONSIN:

Republican Gov. Scott Walker's inaugural events will stretch over three days in both of the state's largest cities, ranging from a gala ball to a prayer breakfast. The Republican Party of Wisconsin is organizing and raising money for the events leading up to Monday's swearing-in, as well as the post-inauguration black-tie ball by selling tickets. Prices range from a few dollars for student tickets to $30,000 for a so-called sponsorship package that includes dozens of tickets across all the events.

A spokesman for the state GOP did not immediately return messages Friday seeking details on who had purchased such packages so far. A GOP spokesman said the party is not allowing corporations to purchase tickets in keeping with a state law that prohibits corporate campaign donations, but he said he did not have a list of any individual ticket purchasers. It was not immediately clear whether the GOP will release the names of the sponsors later.

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Republican Gov. Matt Mead will be sworn into a second term on Monday at the Cheyenne Civic Center. A black-tie gala at the Little America Hotel and Resort in Cheyenne will follow that night honoring Mead and the other four statewide officials being sworn in that day. Tickets are $100.