ALBANY – A Republican state legislator from New York City has urged a little-known colleague from Utica to take his chances against the Democratic front-runner for governor next year, Eliot Spitzer.

Serphin Maltese of Queens said he hopes to persuade a fellow senator, Raymond Meier, to get into the race, as a way of offering voters a sharp contrast to Mr. Spitzer, New York’s attorney general, a social liberal who has become a household name for his high-profile investigations of corporate fraud.

A soft-spoken man widely respected in the Legislature for his keen intellect, Mr. Meier is a vocal proponent of tax cuts and has expressed conservative social views. The effort by Mr. Maltese to draft him for next year’s race reflects a continuing feud within the state’s Republican ranks over the future direction of the party as the Pataki era draws to a close.

Governor Pataki, who announced last week he will not seek a fourth term in office next year, defeated a Democratic icon in a strongly Democratic state, Mario Cuomo, more than a decade ago, in an upset attributed largely to Mr. Pataki’s promise to be conservative on crime and taxes but liberal on social issues such as abortion and gun control. Mr. Pataki’s decision forces party officials to decide whether a replacement should be cut from the same cloth.

The chairman of the state committee, Stephen Minarik, has indicated he is comfortable advancing liberal candidates for statewide office. He has voiced unequivocal support for Mayor Bloomberg, a Democrat who switched parties only in his mid-50s when he decided to enter politics. And the GOP chairman is actively courting Jeanine Pirro, a supporter of abortion rights, for next year’s race for the U.S. Senate against Senator Clinton.

Mr. Minarik has also backed efforts to include more liberal elements within the party’s political apparatus. The Republican committee approved changes to its bylaws in June that added six groups, including a group representing gay Republicans, to join 62 county leaders on the party’s executive committee. Mr. Maltese opposed that move, saying it dilutes the power of the party’s county chairmen.

An original founder and former president of the state’s Conservative Party, Mr. Maltese switched party affiliation in 1990 to run on the Republican line for state Senate. His settling on Mr. Meier as a gubernatorial candidate reflects his efforts at steering his adopted party in a more conservative direction. Mr. Maltese, chairman of the Queens County Republicans, also recently signaled his departure from the official party line by throwing his support behind a social conservative, Edward Cox, in next year’s race against Mrs. Clinton.

Mr. Meier, 52, was Oneida County executive for five years before his election to the state Senate in 1996. He gained a reputation while county executive for eliminating deficits and enacting welfare reforms that were copied across the state. A former officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, Mr. Meier holds undergraduate and law degrees from Syracuse University. He ran unopposed in his last election three years ago.

Mr. Meier denied his possible entrance into the governor’s race would reflect an effort to redirect the party. He said Republicans differ from Democrats precisely for their willingness to allow differing views at the top. He acknowledged Mr. Maltese’s efforts at getting him into the race and said he is considering a run. Regarding Mr. Spitzer, he said that while the attorney general is well-known, his positions on bread-and-butter issues are not. A race against him, Mr. Meier said, would probably center on that point.

“I think the record I would bring to this has more to do with affecting how everyday New Yorkers live their lives every day,” Mr. Meier said. “Whether they have a job, whether they can afford to pay their taxes, whether they can educate their kids. Walk out on the street and ask the first 10 people you meet what they think about Eliot Spitzer. Eight out of 10 will say he’s the great crusader. Ask them how that affects their ability to pay their bills, raise their kids, and carry out their obligations. I don’t think they’d have a response.”

The chairman of the Conservative Party, Michael Long, said Republicans should move in the direction of greater conservatism. A longtime Pataki supporter, Mr. Long nevertheless opposes many of the governor’s positions. He said he hopes the party’s next candidate is a strong conservative. “I believe the answer for the Republican Party is not to turn left,” Mr. Long said. “If you put up candidates who act like Democrats, you kill your base, your base stays home. You need to inspire your base. Therefore, I think you need conservative-mined Republicans to run for statewide office. I know New York is a liberal place, but just because you live in a liberal place doesn’t mean you have to be a liberal person.”

Calls to the Republican State Committee about next year’s gubernatorial race were not returned.