ALBANY - Billionaire B. Thomas Golisano on Tuesday left the Independence Party that he created to join the Republican Party, saying he is ”seriously considering a bid for governor.“

The enrollment means Golisano could seek the Republican nomination for 2006 among a field of several candidates. He faced a Friday deadline to switch his party enrollment. Golisano has won as much as 14 percent of the vote in three campaigns for governor on the Independence Party line. ”Although I have changed my party, I have not changed my principles,“ Golisano, 63, said in a prepared statement. ”As someone who created thousands of jobs, I still believe job-creation is the single greatest answer to New York's economic problems, particularly upstate.

”I am seriously considering a bid for governor in my new party,“ he said. ”I don't believe you have to be born into the Republican Party to be a good Republican, after all, Ronald Reagan, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg all switched parties to become Republicans.“

State GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik welcomed Golisano to the party, but said he could have a tough time capturing the Republican nomination, noting Golisano's past criticism of Pataki.

”I don't know how you overcome that. The party is still Gov. Pataki's party.“

Golisano at a glance

2002: Golisano spent $75 million of his own money on the race and finished a distant third with 14 percent of the vote as Republican Gov. George Pataki, spending about $45 million, won a third term.

1998: Golisano spent $13 million and collected less than 8 percent of the votes in finishing third as Pataki coasted. Golisano's 364,056 votes catapulted the Independence Party into third spot on the New York state ballot, replacing the Conservative Party as the top vote-getting minor party.

1994: Golisano spent $7 million and won just 4 percent of the votes, finishing third as Pataki ousted Democratic incumbent Mario Cuomo.