NEWARK IRONBOUND – Tough, tight.

The allies of East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador concede he has a hard haul today if he wants to get past challenger Anthony Campos, a former police director and chief, in the Ironbound runoff election for the council seat here.

“He’s my friend and colleague,” North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos told InsiderNJ, circulating in the neighborhood with reinforcements for Amador.

He and North Ward Democratic Committee Chairman Sammy Gonzalez stood in the street outside the East Side High School Polling Station.

At-Large Councilman (and former Mayor) Luis Quntana was also engaged, and so – critically – was Essex County Sherriff Armando Fontoura.

Fontoura and Campos don’t get along. It’s a law enforcement thing. A rivalry involving jobs. Suffice to say, Fontoura wants his old friend Amador to win this evening and not just because they’re friends. He wants Campos out of commission.

Ramos and Gonzalez climbed into their car and drove off, and up the sidewalk came Jon Evans, Campos’ political consultant, amid the blares of electrified bullhorns mounted on passing SUVs proclaiming Campos the East Ward’s change agent.

“We’re working,” Evans (pictured above, left) told InsiderNJ.

He strolled back to Campos’ headquarters, a block or two up from the high school, and inside the candidate’s team looked fully engaged.

It was a war.