The parties formally announced their agreement on Wednesday; read the announcement here. 

Days after reports surfaced of U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew crumbling away from the Democratic Party and revealing fracture in South Jersey, New Jersey Democrats put aside the crude toys of party ego and tomfoolery and reached a tentative agreement that “would end a yearlong fight over the state party chairmanship,” according to POLITICO.

“Go figure,” an Essex source ho hummed, as Governor Phil Murphy allies chest bumped and high-fived over the development and their rivals pouted in the emerging gloomy revelations of the deal.

“I didnt think it was a great deal then,” an Essex County Democratic Committee Chair LeRoy Jones source fulminated, referring to dimensions of talks that first cropped up a month ago.

Jones didn’t feel comfortable going to a vote, the source acknowledged.

Matt Friedman reports:

“According to two sources with knowledge of the discussions, the compromise includes having incumbent Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie stay on for a full term that will end after the 2021 Democratic primary. Challenger… Jones, the Essex County Democratic chairman, would be Currie’s heir apparent, assuming state committee members agree, the sources said.

“Jones has the backing of a coalition of Democrats led by party leaders from Essex and Middlesex counties, as well as from South Jersey. Currie has the support of Gov. Phil Murphy and his public sector union and progressive allies.”

For more, please go here.

“Under the proposed compromise, the sources said,” according to Friedman, “the Currie and Jones camps would split the picks, with the governor making two directly and one in consultation with Essex County leaders. The state’s two Democratic legislative leaders would each get one selection.

“According to the sources, Peg Schaffer would continue to serve as vice chair when Jones assumes the chairmanship. Jones is running with former Lakewood Mayor Marta Harrison.”

Essex Democrats were on a conference call this evening as Jones broke the news to them of the deal.

From someone on that call:

“LeRoy takes over June 2021. Reapportionment dealt out to what looks like five counties, including Essex, Bergen, and Hudson, Middlesex. Schaffer stays on for six months with LeRoy.”

It ended 12 months of geekazoid sweaty in-fighting by those forces with Murphy and Currie and the Murphy’s antagonists, led by Jones and the functionaries of power chafing under Murphy, including South Jersey Democratic Power Broker George Norcross III.