Hay off to D.C. to drum up support

The "Hay Wagon," as Sydney Hay has dubbed her campaign to replace indicted Rep. Rick Renzi (R-1) in Congress, rolls into Washington, D.C. this week. It was given a push by the $100k one-night total she chalked up last week, and now (to drag out the metaphor), she's hoping some Capitol Hill bigwigs will grease the wheels.

PolitickerAZ caught up with her at the John McCain speech in Prescott on Saturday, where she was the only congressional candidate with a visible presence (though it was rumored Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kris Mayes, who is close to deciding whether she'll run against Hay for the nomination, was also in attendence; if she was, however, it was sans table, unlike Hay). Hay was eager to say what her D.C. trip held in store.

First off is an event with the Susan B. Anthony List, a group dedicated to supporting pro-life women in Congress.

"They select 10 candidates every year," said Hay. "I'm number two on the list. All the others are either incumbents or members who lost in '06."

She will also be addressing Associated Equipment Distributors, with whom she was once a local group executive, at its Government Affairs Conference.

In addition, she will be meeting with members of Congress, aided by supporter Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform.

While she may not be sitting down with the National Republican Congressional Committee on this go-around, she said "I have met with the NRCC and while of course they can't give me any support at this point, they are very, very committed to this race."

Though the dynamic of the race may change depending on who else enters - former State Senate Pres. Ken Bennett recently said he is giving it serious consideration - Hay, for the time being, is taking full advantage of being the only announced candidate on the Republican side.