INDIANAPOLIS — Energized state Democrats put on a united show at their convention Saturday, rallying behind gubernatorial nominee Jill Long Thompson and taking verbal swipes at Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.

At least 1,700 delegates attended the convention, where they touted Long Thompson and nominated their party candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general and state schools superintendent. None of them had an opponent.

Long Thompson drew rousing cheers when she delivered the day's keynote speech, during which she talked about the need to improve the economy and education and make health insurance less costly and available to more people.

“We must never confuse action with progress, and we must always remember that real progress creates something good for generations to come,” said Long Thompson, an-ex-congressional representative for northeastern Indiana.

The event followed close and divisive Democratic primary contests for president and governor in Indiana.

Long Thompson narrowly defeated Indianapolis architect Jim Schellinger in the May 6 primary to get the nomination for governor. Sen. Hillary Clinton squeaked out a victory over Sen. Barack Obama, but Obama has since become the Democratic nominee-in-waiting.

But there were few signs of any lingering bitterness over those contests at the convention as the party looked ahead to the general election, one Democrats hope will end with Long Thompson ousting Daniels.

Delegate Mike Hennette of the southern Indiana city of Linton said he voted for Schellinger and Clinton in the primary, but was now solidly behind Long Thompson and Obama.

“I think the wounds have already healed,” Hennette said. “I'm a Democrat and I'm going to support our candidates. We think we need to take this country in a new direction, all the way from the White House to the courthouse.”

Delegates formally nominated state Rep. Dennie Oxley, D-English, as Long Thompson's lieutenant governor running mate; Indianapolis attorney Linda Pence for attorney general; and Richard Wood, superintendent of the Tippecanoe School Corp. in Lafayette, for state schools superintendent.

Oxley focused his speech on the economy, saying among other things that the state has been losing thousands of jobs, had a high foreclosure rate and that 740,000 people were living in poverty. But he said Daniels continues to paint the economy in rosy terms, such as saying Indiana is an island of growth surrounded by Midwestern states whose economies are suffering mightily.

“He's the governor of an island all right, only the island is a fantasy island,” Oxley said, drawing laughter and cheers.

Democrats also criticized Daniels' moves to privatize parts of state government.

House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, characterized the moves as putting profit over people and putting for-sale signs on state assets and services. He especially criticized the state's 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road to a Spanish-Australian consortium, which is now collecting the highways toll revenue.

Pence, a former trial lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice, said she would do more to protect children and people in financial trouble from being preyed upon and would take a leadership role in the fight against methamphetamine.

Wood has said if elected as state schools superintendent some of his top priorities would be improving high school graduation rates, expanding full-day kindergarten and reducing teacher-to-student ratios.