As the phone calls travel around the state this evening to Democratic caucus members in an effort to bulk up the list of supporters for Assemblyman Craig Coughlin (D-19) as speaker, sources say two words keep recurring:

Budget chair.

One source, speaking on  condition  of anonymity told InsiderNJ that Coughlinites are trying to get that nest feathered a little more so it doesn’t rely on people who might not be in  the caucus after November. If all the Democrats who reside in split districts go down in the general, the would-be speaker has 24 votes – not enough.

So here’s the race to fold in more support:

Will it be GN3 – or a surrogate or someone from Middlesex – getting to Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes to make Assemblywoman Liz Muoio (D-15) budget chair in exchange for Coughlin support?

Will it be GN3 or a surrogate or someone from Middlesex – getting to Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo to make Assemblywoman Eliana Pinor Marin (D-29) budget chair in exchange for Coughlin  support?

Or it will it be GN3 or a surrogate or someone from Middlesex – getting to state Senator Brian P. Stack (D-33) to make Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33) budget chair in exchange for Coughlin support?

Muoio.

Pintor Marin.

Mukherji.

The sitting budget chair, Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36), stands with the sitting speaker, Vincent Prieto, who stands to get tossed off the captain’s chair with Coughlin’s win, along with his loyal lieutenants.

Stack, in particular, is motivated to go in another direction from his county rival, state Senator Nick Sacco (D-33), who supports Prieto.

More later.