Rep. Mike Sutherland arrived late yesterday to a House committee hearing. He explained that he had been attending a press conference with “the next governor.”

“How is she?” inquired a smiling Rep. David Day, R-Dixon.

Day, of course, knew that Sutherland, R-Warrenton, had been with the horde of legislators standing behind Congressman Kenny Hulshof in the House Lounge in support of his bid for governor.

But Day is sticking with Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who has refused to be sidelined from the competition for governor. She and her husband, attorney David Steelman , helped Day in his first bid for the House in 2004.

While Hulshof may have more legislative endorsements, Day said Sarah Steelman is a formidable campaigner. He recalled how she knocked off former Democratic Sen. Mike Lybyer in 1998. She swept all eight counties in the south-central Missouri district and ran up a 58 percent majority.

In that race, Steelman campaigned against the desegregation bill that allowed St. Louis Public Schools to keep most of the state desegregation subsidy if the district raised local taxes. She also peeled away some labor unions, which were unhappy with Lybyer because he voted against collective bargaining for public employees.

“One thing they’ve always done with Sarah is underestimate her,” Day said. “She picks up support that traditional Republicans don’t pick up.”