The allies of Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie are in court this morning* in an attempt to remove Passaic County Clerk Kristin Corrado from office prior to an Oct. 1st deadline that would prompt a special election this year.

Corrado has an Oct. 5th date at the Statehouse, where she is scheduled to assume the oath of office as the senator from the 40th District.

Currie wants to run for the clerk’s seat that Corrado now occupies, and wants to run this year for the seat. Getting her to leave prior to Oct. 1st would enable him to do so. But Corrado has been reluctant to leave, as she cozies up to Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3), who’s at war with Currie.

Sources say Sweeney was irritated that Currie backed Phil Murphy for governor over himself. He also has not appreciated the chairman’s inability to call off the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), which has kept the senate president pinned down in his district this season.

Sources say his scheduling of an Oct. 5th session had the specific strategic intent of keeping Currie away from the clerk’s seat he craves.

Currie’s allies evidently see a dual office-holding argument as Corrado – the senator-elect for the 40th District – continues to serve as the clerk.

*Editor’s Note: The hearing was moved to 3:30 p.m. today.