Topeka ? After six weeks of playing hard to get, moderate Republican Gov. Bill Graves plans to endorse conservative GOP gubernatorial nominee Tim Shallenburger.

Shallenburger spokesman Bob Murray confirmed Wednesday that Graves plans to make the endorsement during a news conference this afternoon at his Statehouse office.

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Graves’ office announced the event as a joint news conference with Shallenburger but did not mention an endorsement in his race against Democrat Kathleen Sebelius.

“We appreciate the governor doing this and appreciate the due diligence he’s given it,” Murray said.

Graves’ slowness to endorse Shallenburger was notable because other prominent moderates, including U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts and U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, announced their support for Shallenburger shortly after he won the Aug. 6 Republican primary.

Graves has said he wanted to be thoughtful about an endorsement, and Shallenburger suggested the governor hadn’t had much time to study the primary campaign. Graves leaves office in January.

“He and Tim have had a series of discussions with the intent of an endorsement all along,” said GOP State Chairman Mark Parkinson. “Just to come out and blanket endorse everybody just because they are Republicans is not the governor’s style.”

Sebelius hopes to pull moderate Republicans away from Shallenburger to overcome the GOP’s traditional advantage in voter registration.

However, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran-Basso said that Sebelius expected Graves to endorse his fellow Republican, even though Graves and Sebelius have a good working relationship. Sebelius is the insurance commissioner; Shallenburger is the state treasurer.

“We expected this to happen,” Corcoran-Basso said. “The only thing that surprised us was that it took until six weeks after the primary.”

Last week, Sebelius publicized the formation of a “Republicans for Sebelius” group that includes former Sens. Wint Winter Jr. of Lawrence and Lillian Papay of Great Bend.

Murray said Graves and Shallenburger talked last week at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson and twice on Tuesday during an agriculture tour and dinner in western Kansas.

They had their first post-primary meeting on Sept. 3. Graves skipped a Republican “unity” breakfast in Topeka the morning after the primary.