Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has always had policy differences with his running mate and political partner, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele -- most notably over the death penalty and abortion.
But during five months on the campaign trail in 2002 and the subsequent three years in office, those differences have rarely, if ever, come between them.
Now, as they head into the 2006 campaign season on separate tracks -- with Ehrlich seeking reelection and Steele running for the U.S. Senate -- a more complicated dynamic has developed, with the state's two most prominent Republicans not nearly as in sync as previously believed.
For instance, the two are pursuing different approaches to improving pensions for the state's teachers, with Steele reaching out in recent weeks to a powerful union that has had rocky relations with Ehrlich.
Also, Steele has distanced himself from administration actions that could annoy black voters -- a crucial constituency for him in the 2006 election. Those actions include Ehrlich's public denunciations of multiculturalism and a recent decision affecting Morgan State University, one of Maryland's historically black universities.
Steele said in an interview that the differences are no sign of "separation, of a big fight, or of any animosity."
"In this campaign, there will be issues where we disagree," Steele said. "We'll talk about that. Give each other a heads-up. But I am charting my own course."
Greg Massoni, Ehrlich's press secretary, said that there have been moments during the governor's tenure when the two have disagreed but that those disagreements have never strained their relationship. "It's widely known there are areas where they're not on the same page," Massoni said. "I don't see that as any different than has always been the case."
Any tension between the two would be in keeping with a classic political storyline for executives and former running mates: President Bill Clinton and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore, for instance, or Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening and 2002 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.
"In these circumstances, some disagreement is going to be inevitable and is to be expected," said James G. Gimpel, a politics professor at the University of Maryland at College Park. "That's because Mike Steele has to establish his own political identity and come out from behind the governor's shadow."
That is especially true as Steele employs an electoral strategy that is different from Ehrlich's. Steele, the first black person elected statewide, has said his candidacy could draw more black voters to the Republican Party.
"The nice thing, as far as both are concerned, is that they never hide the fact that they differ on some issues," said Republican analyst Carol Hirschberg. "And they seem to respect each other's views."
