Gov. George Pataki faces opposition for the Independence Party nomination after a challenger won enough support at Saturday's party convention to force a primary.
Billionaire businessman B. Thomas Golisano received 31.9 percent of the vote, exceeding the 25 percent he needed.
Pataki, a Republican seeking his third term, got 67.2 percent of the vote, but will still need to win the Sept. 10 primary to appear on the Independence Party line in November.
New York allows major party candidates to also count the votes they receive on minor party ballot lines — a crucial factor in a close race.
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Golisano, one of the founders of the Ross Perot-inspired Independence Party of New York, has twice run for governor on his party's line.