New York: Al and Tipper Gore announced on Tuesday that they were separating after 40 years of marriage.
The announcement came in the form of an e-mail message. Friends described the decision as mutual.
"We are announcing that after a great deal of thought we have decided to separate," the couple said. "This is very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together, following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we do not intend to comment further."
The existence of the e-mail message was first reported by Politico. A spokeswoman for Mr. Gore, Kalee Kreider, confirmed its authenticity.
Mr. and Mrs. Gore were a fixture on the campaign trail in 1992 when the two campaigned with Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton on bus trips that took them across the country, as well as during Mr. Gore's own campaign for president in 2000.
Mrs. Gore, a photographer, was frequently spotted on stage taking photographs of the campaign events and the crowds that turned out to see them.