Mercer County Democrats overwhelmingly backed state Auditor General Robert P. Casey Jr. in the governor's race, but the minority who supported former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell expect the majority to back their man in November.

Casey picked up about 65 percent of the Democratic votes cast for governor in Mercer County, compared to Rendell's 35 percent. Unofficial results put the county vote tally at 5,816 for Casey and 3,139 for Rendell.

But Rendell won statewide with 56 percent of the vote and earned the Democratic nomination to face state Attorney General Mike Fisher --who was unopposed in the GOP primary -- in the fall.

Whether county Democrats who voted for Casey on Tuesday get behind Rendell remains to be seen.

Democratic leaders in the county say they believe the party -- both locally and statewide -- will be able to mend fences and unite after a primary campaign that was marked by occasional political bloodletting and party squabbling. And, the leaders add, the party has to unite if it wants to win in November.

"It's important that we come together," said William Morocco, the Farrell mayor who coordinated Rendell's Mercer County campaign along with former county Democratic Committee Chairman Dick Miller.

"The Democratic philosophy does a better job of reaching out to citizens," Morocco added.

Morocco said he believes Rendell had a "respectable" showing in Mercer County.

"There's that old skeleton about a candidate from Philadelphia holding all the plums, but he has innovative ideas and the experience from his days as mayor to lead," Morocco said.

Mercer County Democratic Party Chairman Bob Lark and Democratic State Committeeman Mark Longietti, both of whom supported Casey, also said they believe the party will work together during the summer and fall to put a Democrat in the governor's mansion.