GRANTVILLE, Pa. -- The meeting room was too small and uncomfortably short of chairs. The microphones worked only intermittently.

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But the political machinery purred yesterday as a unified Democratic State Committee overwhelmingly endorsed its leadership's choices for the three statewide offices on the May primary ballot.

State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. rolled to victory in the endorsement vote for the party's challenger to Republican U.S.Sen. Rick Santorum.

One of Mr. Casey's opponents, Philadelphia pension lawyer Alan Sandals, did not compete for the party backing after unsuccessfully calling for an open primary for the nomination. The other, Bucks County history teacher Chuck Pennacchio, collected only a handful of votes in a head count of the more than 300 elected party officials from across the state.

Mr. Casey drew cheers as he thanked the crowd, but the candidate who sparked the most passion from the Democrats wasn't in the room. Throughout the three-hour meeting, the partisans' most enthusiastic cheers were reserved for repeated denunciations of Mr. Santorum and accompanying predictions of his defeat.

"We're about to engage in a major crusade against neo-conservatives [and] the worst U.S. senator in the history of this country,'' thundered Bill George, president of the state AFL-CIO.

"He wrote in his book that two-income families really don't need a second income,'' Mr.Casey said, drawing incredulous groans. "No one believes that.''

Earlier in the session outside Harrisburg, the crowd unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Gov. Ed Rendell, who is unopposed for renomination in the May 16 primary.

After Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds Valerie McDonald Roberts withdrew her name from consideration, the Democrats also united behind the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll.

Mrs. Knoll's two remaining party rivals, William Hall, of Northampton County, and Harrisburg political activist Gene Stilp, addressed the group but received no support from the Democratic hierarchy. While she withdrew from this competition, Ms. Roberts said she would continue her campaign through the primary. Mr. Stilp and Mr. Hall will continue to compete in the primary as well.

On a voice vote, the Democrats also passed a resolution that called on the governor and the Legislature to work to ensure that Pennsylvania National Guard units are brought home from Iraq without delay and urged the state's congressional delegation to support legislation that would require the Bush administration to present a plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from the conflict.

Mr. Casey's expected easy victory overrode the objections of some Democrats to his relatively conservative positions on abortion and other social issues.

"Endorsing an anti-choice candidate in the most prominent Senate race in the country would send a message that Democrats don't believe in anything,'' Mr. Sandals argued.

"The Democratic Party has to have room for diversity on that issue,'' said Mr. Rendell, who supports abortion rights.

Mr. Casey assailed Mr. Santorum as "a rubber stamp'' for President Bush. "When two people agree 98 percent of the time, one of them isn't necessary,'' he said.

Later, Mr. Santorum's press secretary dismissed the Democrats' criticism.

"Bob Casey is at it again,'' said spokeswoman Virginia Davis. "He's getting good at attacking his opponents while mischaracterizing their records.''

She also said Mr. Casey's comments about his opponent were offered without any specifics on what his own policies would be.

Mr. Sandals said he would support the Democratic treasurer over Mr. Santorum should he win the Democratic nomination. Mr. Pennacchio said he wouldn't be able to line up behind him unless Mr. Casey showed some movement on issues, such as universal health care.

Mr. Rendell thanked the group for its support with a 30-minute speech in which he detailed his administration's record, foreshadowing the message voters will hear from him over the next several months.

"Government is serious business. If it's done well, it can change people's lives,'' he said, citing enrollment increases for the state's prescription drug assistance program, expanded aid to education, and a variety of initiatives in economic development and the environment as evidence of a productive administration.

He said he also remained optimistic that he and the Legislature would agree on a measure that would deliver property tax relief, one of the core pledges of his 2002 campaign.

"I don't think the people of Pennsylvania really understand how much we've done in the last three years,'' he said in his speech. When asked what accounted for that failure in perception, Mr. Rendell said, "It's because the media doesn't cover Harrisburg, except for the controversies.''

Of his November opponent, former Pittsburgh Steeler and ABC sportscaster Lynn Swann, Mr.Rendell said, "[He] is a personable, bright guy. He's going to be tough.''