BUFFALO – Upstate New York’s largest Republican committee yesterday endorsed John Faso for governor and Kathleen Troia “KT” McFarland to challenge Senator Clinton.

The announcement came two days before the start of the state Republican nominating convention on Long Island and as Democrats poured into Erie County for their convention.

“The Republican Party offers voters a field of excellent candidates for governor and the U.S. Senate,” an Erie County Republican committee chairman, James Domagalski, said. “Ultimately we have decided to endorse John Faso and KT McFarland because they understand upstate New York and possess the ability to help solve the economic and fiscal problems that we face.”

Mr. Faso, a former state Assembly minority leader, is a member of the state appointed control board that has been working to stabilize Buffalo’s finances. In his 2002 bid for state comptroller, which he narrowly lost, Faso won Erie County with about 30,000 votes, the party said.

Ms. McFarland, a Reagan-era Pentagon official, was praised as an experienced foreign policy and defense expert. “She is also an experienced community activist who rejects the liberal agenda of Senator Clinton,” Mr. Domagalski said.

Erie County has about 190,000 registered Republicans and about 300,000 registered Democrats.

Democrats meeting in Buffalo today and tomorrow are expected to endorse Mrs. Clinton’s bid for a second term and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer as their pick for governor.

Republicans could see primaries in both races, with a former Yonkers mayor, John Spencer, battling Ms. McFarland and Mr. Faso fighting against Governor Weld.