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RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION

PHOENIX — Politicians on either side of the aisle are already positioning themselves to succeed U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi in the event he resigns.

Sure that a federal investigation into his involvement in a land-swap deal will lead him to abandon his seat after a more than three terms, the political community been busy the past week preparing for a vacancy.

Unlike Senate seats, for which the governor appoints a replacement from the same political party as the person who resigned, House seats are filled through a special election.

"If he resigns before the end of his term, Democrats are ready and more than willing to fill that seat," said Alice McKeon, spokeswoman for the Arizona Demo-cratic Party. "The race is going to be a vigorous one."

Meanwhile, Republicans are being more coy about their plans should Renzi step down.

"Our thoughts and prayers have gone out to Congressman Renzi and his family," said Brett Mecum, spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party. "We're still in Rick Renzi's corner and 100 percent behind him."

But if predictions hold true, there will be no lack of candidates for Arizona's Congressional District 1 — a vast area that covers most of Northern and Eastern Arizona and stretches down into Pinal County.

Former state Senate President Ken Bennett, a Republican, has told The Associated Press he'd consider a run should Renzi step aside. On the Democratic side, Flagstaff Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick had planned to run in 2008, but might speed up her timetable if there were an opening, she said Thursday.

"We've formed an exploratory committee," she said. Other names have been flowing around, like former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson; Ellen Simon, Renzi's 2006 opponent; and Republican state Sen. Tom O'Halleran of Sedona.

Stretching over eight counties, Renzi's district is the largest in land area in the state. Though it has a Democratic voter registration edge, it went for President Bush in the 2004 election.

"It's a conservative Democratic district," says Margaret Kenski, a Republican pollster. "Many are liberal on economic issues and conservative on social issues."

However, Kenski said, "The current scene should favor a Democrat, if they pick the right person."

That would leave Arizona with only three Republicans in the U.S. House, a major shift from just a year ago, when six of the state's eight representatives were from the GOP.