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Cuomo to hold inaugural events in NYC and Buffalo

Karen DeWitt/WRVO News
Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks with reporters during an open house Wednesday at the governor's mansion.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is forgoing the traditional inaugural swearing-in ceremony at the state’s capitol, in favor of smaller events today in New York City and Buffalo, where he will give his inaugural speech.

Cuomo did hold an open house at the governor’s mansion in Albany on New Year’s Eve, where he chatted with members of the public who were drawn by a lottery to attend. He says he wanted to shake things up a bit by holding inaugural events in other places.

“I want to move it around little bit,” Cuomo said. “Tradition is nice, but tradition doesn’t necessarily determine what we do.”

The governor said one reason he chose Buffalo is because his new Kathy Hochul, who will be sworn in as his new lieutenant governor today, is from there.

Cuomo also changed his plans for an New Year's Eve swearing-in ceremony at the mansion, and instead simply signed papers acknowledging that he had taken the oath of office for a second term. He then left for New York City to spend time with his family. His father, the former Gov. Mario Cuomo, has been ailing.

The governor will be back, to the capitol for his State of the State speech on January 7.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.