Hundreds of Southern Arizona residents will brave chilly weather Friday to see Donald Trump become the nation’s 45th president.
Republican National Committee member Bruce Ash of Tucson is already in Washington, D.C., excited to watch Trump take office.
“Been working eight years to get to this place,” Ash said.
Republican strategist Christine Bauserman got her inauguration tickets directly from the Trump campaign, a reward for her service as a field director in Southern Arizona.
Bauserman said she is particularly excited to attend the Inaugural Ball.
Tucson resident Pamela Anderson has been active in politics since Ronald Reagan, but Friday will be her first presidential inauguration.
She said will visit relatives who live in the D.C. area, but she is also looking forward to reconnecting with the friends she has made while working on the Trump campaign since before the Republican primary.
Some high-profile Arizona politicians plan on attending the inauguration. They include Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, U.S. Reps. Martha McSally and Tom O’Halleran as well as Gov. Doug Ducey and state Treasurer Jeff DeWit.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, however, plans on staying in Tucson for the remainder of the week — an act of defiance against the incoming administration.
He announced he would meet with constituents to discuss the expected repeal of the Affordable Care Act rather than attend Trump’s inauguration.
McSally and Grijalva, through their congressional offices, each gave out 177 tickets that they received for the inauguration, with McSally contacting other congressional offices asking for any extra tickets.
As of Wednesday, McSally’s office had given away 184 tickets through a lottery system.
An aide for McSally said the office received nearly 500 requests for inauguration tickets.
Local architect Mariano Rodriguez’s support for Trump during the campaign season brought him brief international attention, as news crews crowded in his living room to better understand why he, as a Mexican immigrant, was supporting Trump.
His enthusiasm for Trump hasn’t waned — but Rodriguez and his family will be watching the inauguration from the comfort of his home. He attempted to get tickets from McSally’s office but didn’t make the cut.
Nadia Larsen, another high-profile Trump supporter, also will be watching the Trump inauguration on a television screen. She had dozens of Trump signs stolen from her front lawn before the vandal was caught.
She said she put family first over politics, helping a family member move.
Locally, Republicans have plans to celebrate the inauguration with at least two events Friday:
- An “inauguration breakfast” is being held at Dickey’s, 7850 N. Oracle Road, at 6 a.m. Friday.
- A party is also planned at the Viscount Suites Hotel, 4855 E. Broadway, starting at 5:30 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.
The day after the inauguration, Tucsonans will march as part of a nationwide protest against the new administration.
The gathering here in support of the Women’s March on Washington will begin in Armory Park, 221 S. Sixth Ave., at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The walk, to show support for women’s rights and diverse communities, begins at 11 a.m. and will end at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library in downtown Tucson.
A solidarity rally will be held from noon to 3 p.m. in Jacome Plaza.
