On Tuesday, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich accomplished an incredible feat — he became the only Democratic governor in the state to receive the party’s re-election nod since 1965.

Still, the governor has his work cut out for him if the results from the Illinois primary are any indication.

Although primaries aren’t typically known for their drama, this year’s election offered a glimpse of what is sure to be an exciting fight between Blagojevich and Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka on Nov. 7.

Both experienced some signs of party dissent in the primary.

With 11,099 of 11,700 precincts reporting, Topinka won with 37 percent of the votes, only 6 percent more than her nearest opponent, Aurora businessman Jim Oberweis, according to ABC7Chicago.com.

Sensing the party’s discord, Topinka said in Wednesday’s Chicago Tribune article that she planned to convey a “message of unity” to her Republican rivals Wednesday.

“If the party wishes to get rid of Rod Blagojevich, the party will have to work as a team,” Topinka said. “If the Republican Party wants to succeed and go on to be a major factor in Illinois politics, it has to work together. It has to be a big tent.”

Blagojevich would do well to follow Topinka’s example, as he received 70 percent of the votes. Twenty-nine percent went to former Chicago alderman Edwin Eisendrath who ran a low-key campaign.

Twenty-nine percent may not seem to be a lot, but that means one-third of those voting on the Democratic ballot disapproved of the incumbent. That’s 29 percent of the Democratic vote from which Blagojevich will have to seek support.

Party unity will be more important for both candidates, since there is no obvious front runner. And their upcoming campaigns are sure to be entertaining because of it.