FLEMINGTON – The personal endorsement of CD7 hopeful Linda Weber via twitter on Saturday by Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Chair Arlene Quinones Perez rankled some of the political personnel attached to other contenders in the Democratic Primary, but left others unfazed in an ongoing hard-fought contest.

“Forum for CD7 – great job Warren County Democrats!!! Linda Weber is proving why she is the candidate to represent CD7 – exactly why she has my full support,” the chair tweeted.

“I thought Arlene was having a fair and open convention,” seethed an insider in response, as the candidates left Warren for Hunterdon and a second Saturday debate forum.

At that second event, in a packed Elks antechamber, Quinones Perez told InsiderNJ that she is indeed committed to a fair process, and noted, “I’ve personally endorsed Linda. That doesn’t mean the committee will endorse Linda.”

If the committee backs an alternative, that person will receive the organization’s support, she said.

Sources say former State Department official Tom Malinowski continues to do a good job of rustling up support from committee members in Quinones Perez’s county, and threatening to cut into Weber’s 2-county lead in the race for six-county control of the committee endorsement process. Onstage at the College Democrats-sponsored and InsiderNJ-moderated candidates’ forum in the Elks Lodge here on Saturday night, he complimented a front row-seated Quinones Perez for running a fair and transparent process.

County committee sources in Hunterdon, Somerset and Union say the diner booth battle to this point has pitted Weber against Malinowski, with none of the other candidate generating their level of committee member support. In Somerset last week, Weber picked up 12 towns to Malinowski’s five. A source wired into Union told InsiderNJ that right now in that up-in-the-air eastern county, Weber once again has the edge with Malinowski threatening.

Although establishment sources early last month anticipated support going somewhat seamlessly to Weber, mostly on the strength of the party requiring a woman to offset county level male influence and the expectation of a top of the ticket U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the nationally-connected and policy polished Malinowski’s ability to outraise Weber – and shine with Obama era credentials – threw the race into turmoil this month.

“Obama doesn’t poll well in the district,” a party source countered in a conversation with InsiderNJ. “Hillary [Clinton narrowly] won the district.”

Malinowski’s detractors, moreover, complain that he hasn’t lived in the district for a sufficient period of time.

Following the debate, the Hunterdon chair addressed the crowd and made her pitch for unity, arguing that the sooner the party coalesces around a candidate and focuses its fundraising efforts on the $600K COH incumbent U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7), the more efficiently Democrats will be able to project strength and legitimacy.

But aside from Weber – who already possesses the endorsements now of two county organizations – none of the other six candidates in the Democratic Primary – prodded by InsiderNJ – would commit to backing out of the June contest if someone else lands 50% plus one of the county committee support system.