Congressman Roy Blunt (R)Republican state Treasurer Sarah Steelman is again sending mixed signals about challenging Rep. Roy Blunt for Kit Bond’s open Senate seat next year. Earlier in the week Steelman was quoted as saying that she was considering running for Blunt’s open House seat instead of the Senate, because she “…would certainly prefer to do it without further destruction to our party.” The next day, Tuesday, Steelman quickly fired off a communication to her local television station saying that she is still "very seriously considering" the statewide campaign.

Steelman’s vacillation is the first public indication that she might be willing to avoid the intra-party challenge, something that didn’t appear possible even two weeks ago. Last week, former Ambassador Tom Schweich, who had previously launched his own Senatorial campaign and was bashing front runner Blunt abruptly reversed course and exited the race, and then endorsed the former House Republican Whip. Schweich had been heavily supported by former Sen. John Danforth, who now, too, decided to publicly endorse Blunt. The synergy behind the Springfield area Congressman has apparently caused Steelman to waver.

Sarah Steelman, currently a professor at Missouri State University, was elected state Treasurer in 2004 after winning two terms in the state Senate. She ran unsuccessfully for Governor in ’08, losing the Republican primary to then-Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who went onto to a landslide general election defeat at the hands of then-Attorney General Jay Nixon (D). For Steelman, as the sitting statewide official, to lose a primary battle against an opponent who represented only 1/9 of the state punctured some holes in what had been a strong political profile.