In a Place of Fragile Alliances, a Romance Endures

In a city known for its fractured and fragmented politics, Mr. Klein and Ms. Savino have joined forces not only politically, but also personally. They entered the State Senate together in 2005, became co-chairmen of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, and gravitated toward each other in their commitment to return Democrats to the majority. Good friends, they were drawn even closer when they worked on Craig M. Johnson’s successful special election campaign for a Senate seat in 2007.

“It was very, very cold,” Mr. Klein said.

“We went socks shopping,” Ms. Savino added.

The political-personal alliance has drawn unusual attention in a Senate chamber more familiar with coups, countercoups and breakaway alliances. Mr. Klein, who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, and Ms. Savino, who represents parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn, now make up half of one such alliance. In January, they joined with Senators David J. Valesky of Oneida County and David Carlucci of Rockland County to form an independent caucus.

The formation of the group did not change the balance of power in a Senate where Republicans held a majority of two seats. But three of the independent caucus members landed committee chairmanships, and their maneuver upset the already fraught Senate Democrats, some of whom sniped that the move was driven more by romance than by political principle.

“It’s insulting, and frankly, it’s insulting to all female legislators,” Ms. Savino said. “Anyone you talk to will tell you I’m not the type of person to follow any man, anywhere.”

She grabbed Mr. Klein’s elbow and added, with a laugh: “Not that he’s not worth following.”

Mr. Klein and Ms. Savino have become the Brangelina of New York state politics, complete with their own nickname, “Klavino,” apparently bestowed by the Albany news media. Their relationship started, the couple said, over a veal chop and a bottle of red wine in the back corner of La Fontanella, an Italian restaurant in Mr. Klein’s district.

“Halfway through the meal, I realized, ‘I think we’re on a date,’?” said Ms. Savino, 47, laughing.

“At first it was kind of weird,” she said. “I was like, ‘I don’t think this is such a good idea,’ and he was like, ‘I’m not so sure either.’?”

The couple’s relationship, which dates to 2008, was an open secret. They were two single senators around the same age, always being spotted coming out of rooms together, attending events together and sharing smoking breaks (Ms. Savino has since quit). But they went public only in February, when The New York Post published a Page Six gossip item that began, “Political sparks are flying.”

“It was a political hit,” said Mr. Klein, 50, sitting in a booth next to Ms. Savino on a recent Wednesday night at Café Capriccio in Albany. Ms. Savino observed, “I’m not sure if it was the best kept secret. But because there’s no scandal involved — he’s not married, I’m not married — nobody cared.”

Constituents, however, have taken notice. They are perpetually offering their congratulations and, Ms. Savino joked, “I told him, ‘You have to marry me now. If not, people will be very disappointed.’?”

Though the two are often on the same page politically, they do disagree from time to time. They were split, for example, over “last in, first out” layoff policies — he supported a measure to repeal the practice in the New York City schools, while she opposed the repeal. And personally, they can seem a study in contrasts. He describes himself as “methodical,” while she calls herself “a broad-stroker.” He is a controlled creature of habit, while she is louder and more off-the-cuff. When Ms. Savino says something unprintable in a family newspaper, Mr. Klein laughs and shakes his head. He seems perpetually tickled by her candor.

“Felix and Oscar, the odd couple,” said Assemblyman Matthew Titone, a Democrat representing Staten Island who rents an apartment in the same Albany building as Ms. Savino. “When it comes to being captain of the A-type personality team, Jeff wins.”

Though Ms. Savino was initially nervous about mixing business with pleasure — “If it doesn’t work out, you run the risk of ruining not just friendship but a working relationship,” she explained — she said that in an industry full of sycophants, it was important to have a true partner.

“I can pretty much say anything to him, and the real challenge is not to abuse our personal relationship in that way,” Ms. Savino said.

Their relationship, they insist, is boring.

“In a place known for its complete dysfunction, we have a totally normal relationship,” Ms. Savino said. “Albany is the easiest part for us, because we’re here, together.”