Missouri s Auditor Susan Montee has sent out a release saying that she plans on Tuesday “to become Missouri’s first Democratic statewide elected official to endorse a presidential candidate.

“She will also announce the formation of a statewide women’s organization to support that candidate.”

The endorsement announcement is set for 10:30 a.m. in Kansas City.

Montee is Missouri’s only statewide officeholder (besides Missouri’s senators) who’s not on next year’s ballot, so she’d have time to campaign for someone else.

Two Republican statewides already have announced their picks. Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, has helped raise money for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. And Lt. Peter Kinder has declared his support for actor/former Sen. Fred Thompson – even though Thompson isn’t definitely in.

In 2004, Montee endorsed a fellow lawyer, former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

But this time around, most of the predictions floated so far have Montee going for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois (rumored to also be the preference of Sen. Claire McCaskill) or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York (the choice of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and behind-the-scenes Democratic powerhouse Joyce Aboussie.)

And don’t count out New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. One Democratic source said that Montee recently talked to Richardson.