The sitting GOP State Chairman took the job in exchange for silence, as Governor Chris Christie insisted on being the only projecting Republican voice in the state of New Jersey on his way to unsuccessfully seeking the 2016 nomination for president.

Now, as the Christie era winds down, Sam Raia appears to be nearing the end of his Christie control panel-set tenure as state party chair, perhaps eyeballing a 2018 challenge of sitting U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5).

The tradition is that the party nominee selects the next state party chair, and if front-runner Kim Guadagno prevails next month, Hudson County GOP Chairman Jose Arango could emerge as her favored choice, according to three Republican sources.

A former assemblyman who currently serves as chair of the GOP chairs, Arango is a staunch Guadagno loyalist, who’s not shied away from wading into wars with rival chairs for the sake of his candidate. Earlier this year, the convention season consisted of those chairs aligned with Guadagno versus those aligned with her chief rival for the nomination, Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (R-16).

Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore led the Guadagno faction, with Arango in fierce support on the party’s northern front. Somerset County GOP Chairman Al Gaburo – a stout Ciattarelli ally – led the chairs in support of the assemblyman.

If Ciattarelli beats the odds and defeats Guadagno, Gaburo would be in line to nab the state chairmanship.

But “I don’t think he wants it,” one source said.

But if Guadagno wins, Arango leads the pack, the sources told InsiderNJ.

Contacted regarding his potential interest in the job, Arango said, “None that I know. That decision is up to the Guv nominee & state committee.”

There are two state committee per county and 21 counties. He – or anyone else – would need 22 votes.