Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele spoke briefly at a state party fundraiser Thursday evening and repeatedly urged audience members to work hard for a victory in November.
"My friends, don't screw this up," Steele told a roomful of about 700 at the BWI Airport Marriott. "We've got work to do. Don't take a good night for granted. This is going to be work. Hard work. We've done it before."
The night saw the closest public interaction between Steele and Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in recent months. Steele was his lieutenant governor but did not run with him in the 2006 re-election bid, instead unsuccessfully seeking a U.S. Senate seat. Steele has had a rocky tenure as RNC chairman, but Ehrlich and other speakers thanked him for his work.
Ehrlich is seeking to unseat Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Democrat who defeated him four years ago.
Steele introduced Ehrlich, reminiscing about their time in office. Ehrlich said the previous Republican fundraisers have felt like "a morgue." This year, he said, he could "feel the energy" and the roomful of people were "ready to win."
The mood was elevated by a Rasmussen poll that came out a few hours earlier putting the governor's race at a dead heat. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was the keynote speaker, attacking President Barack Obama's response to the BP oil spill as slow and misdirected.
Ehrlich announced that his wife, Kendel, would host the couple's WBAL radio show alone after he has to give up his spot in July, when he officially files his candidacy with the elections board.
Ehrlich spoke briefly with reporters before the dinner and declined to answer questions about his choice for lieutenant governor, though he said the vetting process has begun. He said there are "more than a few" candidates on the list.
Maryland GOP officials said they sold 700 tickets and raised $200,000. A Democratic fundraiser last month drew 900 people and raised $450,000.
Baltimore Sun reporter Julie Bykowicz contributed to this article.