A trio of outlying Republican county chairmen fired a warning shot at Erie County GOP Chairman James P. Domagalski when they announced Friday they will support veteran Sen. Dale M. Volker, R-Depew, for re-election this fall.

The move by Wyoming County Chairman Gordon Brown, Livingston County Chairman Lowell Conrad, and Ontario County Chairman Jay Dutcher reaffirms backing for Volker, whom Domagalski is considering challenging in a rare Republican primary.

“Sen. Volker has always been a tremendous friend of Wyoming County and has played a key role in securing state resources, reducing our tax burden and investing in our infrastructure,” Brown said in comments similar to those issued by his two colleagues. “He is simply a man we can trust in Albany to get the job done.”

Volker, who was first elected to the Legislature in 1972, has been raising money for this year’s campaign after he faced a stiff challenge in 2008 from former Democratic Legislator Kathy Konst of Lancaster. She was backed by about $600,000 in spending from the Responsible New York political committee sponsored by Florida billionaire B. Thomas Golisano, owner of the Buffalo Sabres.

But Domagalski has acknowledged that he is considering a challenge to Volker in the primary, and for the first time has raised money for his own political committee. Political activist Leonard A. Roberto already has announced he also will run in the Republican primary.

The backing of chairmen from the non-Erie County portion of the district is considered significant, however, because Volker has survived primary and general election challenges in recent years on their strength while he has encountered difficulty in his home county of Erie.

Domagalski is expected to decide sometime this spring on whether to officially launch a challenge to Volker. Party sources say he will bypass the chairmen and bring his case directly to the county committees if he decides to enter the race.

Domagalski declined to comment on Friday.