TRENTON – A powerful Democrat affiliated with South Jersey and opposed to dug in Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-32) reached out to Republican Assembly leadership in the last number of hours to probe and poke thoughts and feelings regarding a potential Prieto dump in exchange for an alternative if lawmakers cannot strike a deal with Governor Chris Christie.

Three sources told InsiderNJ about the contact, established as a deadlocked legislature tries to figure out how to bridge a blockade in the caucus over a Horizon bill authored by state Senator Joe Vitale (D-19).

The situation was volatile.