Tickets to Governor's Ball selling quickly

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published December 29, 2008

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Tickets for this year's Governor's Inaugural Ball are selling faster than those for the 2005 event - perhaps because there's no uncertainty this time about who will be in office.

Gov. Chris Gregoire's rematch victory against Republican challenger Dino Rossi was relatively easy compared with their bitter battle in 2004-05. Gregoire eventually was declared the winner in that race, by 133 votes.

The nonprofit and nonpartisan Governor's Inaugural Ball Committee has 5,000 tickets to sell for this year's ball, set for Jan. 14 at the domed Legislative Building, and tickets are selling well ahead of the pace from 2004-05, event spokeswoman Lisa Cosmillo said Friday. No exact ticket-sales count was available.

"Sales are exceeding last time. And we think it's because we know who the governor is," Cosmillo said, recalling the three vote counts and Rossi's election challenge that overshadowed the 2005 inaugural. "People didn't want to commit. … Of course, this time we have commitments from people."

Tickets cost $100 this time around, about 33 percent higher than when Gregoire first took office. The black-tie event starts at 7 p.m. and runs until 11:30 p.m. inside the Legislative Building and on adjoining plazas.

Gregoire had weighed whether to ask the committee to cancel the event, which is privately financed, but decided to ask attendees to bring a donation of food or write a check to food banks.

Had Gregoire opposed having the event, it might not have made any difference to the committee, which has sponsored the celebration of a new governor each election since territorial days in 1853. The committee's work relies on no taxpayer money, Cosmillo said.

For information or to order tickets, go to www.wastategovball.org, e-mail admin@wastategovball.org, call 360-427-6875 or send a check to Inaugural Ball Committee, P.O. Box 1283, Shelton, WA 98584. Capital Lakefair also has tickets at 218 Franklin St. S.E., Olympia, or by calling 360-943-7344.