Ex-premier Matteo Renzi has emerged victorious from the first part of the congress of the Democratic Party (PD), winning around 68% of the votes among party members.
Justice Minister Andrea Orlando took around 25% of the votes and Puglia Governor Michele Emiliano claimed around 6.5%, enough to keep him in the running to take part in primaries on April 30.
There was disagreement within the ruling centre-left group about the turnout.
Organizers said around between 235,000 and 255,000 PD members voted, but people belonging to Orlando's entourage said the figures were "not convincing".
"I hope that over two million people vote on that day (April 30), because it would be a blow for the whole party if it were below that threshold," said Orlando.
Renzi is seeking to be re-elected PD leader with a fresh mandate after stepping down as premier in December when his flagship Constitutional reform was rejected in a referendum.
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