Last year’s pre-gubernatorial primary fight between Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) and Jersey City Mayor featured numerous sharp elbowed moments as eventually the pair of antagonists self-destructed amid the emerging broader political shoulders of former Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy.

Fulop and Sweeney both tapped out – back to back – last fall, and endorsed Murphy for governor on their own time lines.

But some lingering ill will surfaced in December of 2016 when Sweeney wrote and delivered a $5,000 check to the mayoral campaign account of Bill Matsikoudis, according to the state Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

Matsikoudis is the former corporation counsel with $250,000 in the bank who’s challenging Fulop in this year’s mayor’s race. For some time, InsiderNJ had heard rumors of Sweeney pumping up the Matsikoudis campaign bike tire, but the actual gift proves – at the very least – Sweeney’s intention to trouble Fulop on his home turf.