Congressman Roy Blunt will endorse Kenny Hulshof’s run for governor Monday in Springfield and Joplin, according to sources close to the campaign.

The two Republicans came into Congress together and Blunt has been expected by many to endorse Hulshof. The endorsement should give Hulshof a boost in the key southwest Missouri battleground, where Blunt continues to be very popular.

The endorsement also cements Treasurer Sarah Steelman’s role as outsider and will likely play into her anti-Washington, D.C., message. Many of Blunt’s traditional political supporters were already backing Hulshof.

The high-profile endorsement follows the move of Sen. Kit Bond, who threw his weight behind Hulshof at the state Republican convention in Branson.