The suspense is over.

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman gathered the capital press corps into the modest kitchen of the Jefferson City house where she grew up to reveal the big news: She is running for re-election — not for governor.

On cue, her family unfurled a blue banner with her campaign theme: “Power to the People. Sarah Steelman. State Treasurer.”

It omits that she is a Republican, but Steelman said not to read anything into that. She’s not changing parties.

Steelman said she would seek a second term managing the state’s money because there is “work to be done.” She wouldn’t say how seriously she had considered a primary race against Gov. Matt Blunt or why she decided against it.

Instead, she touted her record of developing terror-free investment policies, returning millions of dollars in unclaimed property to Missourians and running an acclaimed college savings program.

The scene looked like a ready-made campaign commercial, with Steelman sitting at the round, white table where she debated issues over dinner with her family when she was growing up.

Saying that she was “here to talk about a kitchen table,” Steelman recalled those debates as sparking her interest in ideas and showing her “that ideas matter.”

Asked whether she would back John McCain for president again, Steelman demurred, saying: “I’m trying to keep this on the state treasurer’s race.”

Surrounding Steelman for the announcement were her parents, attorney John Hearne, 82, and Jackie Hearne, 83; Steelman’s husband, attorney and former state Rep. David Steelman; and two of her three sons, Sam, 21, a student at Drury in Springfield and Michael, 12, a seventh grader in Rolla. The middle son, Joe, 19, attends the University of Chicago.

Steelman said she hopes to raise between $1 million and $1.5 million for the campaign. So far the only Democrat in the race is Mark Powell of Jefferson County, the 2004 Democratic nominee. But there are rumblings that others will surface soon.