State’s supply of presidential inaugural tickets all but gone

WASHINGTON — Interest in presidential inaugural tickets is huge, and the supply can’t keep up with the demand, Capitol Hill staff members said last week.

“We are plumb out,” said Ryan Saylor, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman.

Less than a month before the Jan. 20 inauguration, roughly 1,500 passes have been snapped up by Arkansans.

Five members of Arkansas’ all-Republican congressional delegation are no longer giving out tickets to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The sixth, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, recently had only 10 tickets remaining, his spokesman said.

Before leaving Washington for the holidays, U.S. Sen. John Boozman checked with colleagues to see whether they had any extras. His supply had already been depleted.

“In the past, we’ve been able to accommodate everybody. I don’t know that we’ll be able to do that this year,” Boozman said in an interview in mid-December.

At the state Republican Party headquarters in Little Rock, officials said they haven’t given up on getting tickets.

“We’re doing our best to accommodate all the Arkansans that are going with tickets to inaugural events,” said state party Chairman Doyle Webb. “As recently as [last week], we submitted names to the Trump campaign and to the inaugural committee to receive invitations to events, so we’re hopeful that any Arkansan going will have the availability of some tickets.”

Most of the hotels in Washington, D.C., are booked solid for the event, but the GOP has helped about 100 Arkansas Republicans find lodging. Hundreds more made their own hotel arrangements.

“This will be my third inaugural to go to, and it may be the most exciting because President-elect Donald Trump is a different kind of president,” Webb said Thursday.

In past years, hundreds of thousands of people have traveled to Washington for the festivities.

Most of the tickets are standing room only. Many attendees arrive hours before the ceremonies.

Although U.S. representatives receive roughly 200

tickets each, only about 20 of those include seating. Those spots typically go to elderly and disabled constituents.

“People who can’t get out there and stand for that long period of time, we wanted to make sure they were comfortable,” said Claire Burghoff, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Steve Womack.

Those making the journey should dress warmly. The average high temperature in Washington in January is 43 degrees, with nighttime temperatures dropping to 28 degrees.

Organizers say the celebration isn’t limited to those who have invitations.

“There are many ways to be part of Inauguration Day without having tickets to the swearing-in ceremony,” said Taylor Mason, a regional spokesman for the presidential inaugural committee.

Those without tickets can still view the swearing-in from a distance. Those who are too far away to witness the ceremony typically watch it on giant television screens that line the National Mall.

Others grab spots along the inaugural parade route, lining Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.

Last week, the inaugural committee announced plans for a free concert Jan. 19 at the Lincoln Memorial. Tickets will not be required to attend that, officials said.

A limited number of Arkansans have received invitations to the official inaugural balls. Those lacking tickets can always attend an inauguration-eve gala sponsored by the Arkansas State Society, a Washington-based social group. Tickets for the black-tie event, which hasn’t been sanctioned by inaugural organizers, are to go on sale today.