The fight for the Union County Democratic Committee chairmanship will come down to behemoth Elizabeth and a big chunk of Plainfield and all of Linden with state Senator Nick Scutari (D-22), going up against Union Twp., Hillside, and a large cut of Union’s suburban towns, the starting point for Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr.

Elizabeth begins the contest with 120 votes.

Rival Union Twp. starts with 100.

Scutari (D-22) launches his campaign with a Linden he unified after the fall of former Mayor Richard Gerbounka.

Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage and Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp (pictured) gave two big thumbs up endorsements critical for Scutari’s runway of support toward succeeding retired Union County Democratic Committee Chairman Jerry Green.

The Mapp endorsement was especially big – coming as it did late in the game.

Mapp and Scutari rival state Senator Joe Cryan (D-20) were tight politically during the pre-gubernatorial primary period. The Plainfield Mayor’s decision to back Scutari for chair over Cryan ally Acting Chair Mahr might have surprised politics watchers but for the mayor’s interest in an assembly seat in the event that one opens up at some point.

District 22 Pooh-bah Scutari could prove a critical ally for Mapp to get to Trenton.

That may be Mapp’s calculation.

It’s no secret that Mahr nurses her own interest in serving under the Gold Dome.

But for now, she wants to parlay her acting chairmanship into permanent service as county chair, starting with the big piece of a Cryan-locked down Union Twp. and making the case for support in the suburbs, including a big pitch to women in places like newly Democratic Party-refurbished Westfield.

“Toss-up,” a source told InsiderNJ when asked to call Scutari v. Mahr.