EDISON – Unblemished after the redistricting pox struck most county representations, the Middlesex Democratic contingent piled into the Pines Manor ballroom with only one unsettled agenda item at their convention: the fate of Assemblyman John Wisniewski, (D-19), of Sayreville, who was nearly left off of the party line tonight.

Wisniewski is the state Democratic Party chairman – the loftiest position held by the post-John Lynch Middlesex squad – but a leaked map in the redistricting process that pitted state Sens. Barbara Buono, (D-18), of Metuchen, and Joe Vitale, (D-19), of Woodbridge, against each other was attributed by sources to co-chair Wisniewski – fairly or unfairly.

“It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t a head-fake,” Vitale said after the convention. “It speaks for itself.”

Even if Wisniewski wasn’t bound by a confidentiality agreement and could discuss how the map came to be, it still wouldn’t be definitive evidence. Several of the targeted politicians on the leaked map also represented past or future challenges to state Sen. President Steve Sweeney, (D-3), of West Deptford, who was also a controlling member of the redistricting team, even though he wasn’t officially a member.

Wisniewski was adamant about the redistricting process being an absolute win for the Dems, leaving nothing to complain or stomp feet about.

“We scored a home run,” he said before the convention began, questioning why there are any ill effects of a process that delivered a majority of districts where more than half of the voters are Democratic loyalists.

Even so, the Vitale-Buono camps toyed with the idea of denying Wisniewski the party line in the 19th District, even though they weren’t planning to oppose his candidacy.

Support for that strategem fizzled and was abandoned tonight, possibly due to the need for some stability for a county party that was again rocked by corruption charges when party chairman and County Sheriff Joe Spicuzzo was taken away in cuffs recently.

“Middlesex County’s fine,” Wisniewski said. “I don’t think there’s any lack of cohesion in Middlesex County.”

Instead of being denied the party line, Wisniewski’s candidacy was protested by the Woodbridge committee persons, who all raised their hands in abstention when his name came up – excluding Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, who was present, but is not a committeeman and was not voting.

“Woodbridge is a team, and Wisniewski’s actions threatened our teammate, and we don’t appreciate that,” the mayor said afterward. “It was symbolic, but it was essentially a vote of no confidence.”

Save the Woodbridge slight, Wisniewski’s job on the redistricting commission was widely praised in the room, including by state Sen. Bob Smith, (D-17), of Piscataway, in his nomination acceptance speech.

“You have no idea what a battle it was to get the map we now have in New Jersey,” Smith told the crowd of the Democratic-leaning legislative district map.

He said the Dems were at a disadvantage because of the GOP’s non-profit bankroller, Center for a Better New Jersey, “the governor’s secret slush fund,” as Smith called it.

“And you know what, John Wisniewski and the Democrats beat him,” Smith said.

Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman nominated Wisniewski and said the 16-year Assemblyman brought home a map that “favors Democrats statewide for the next decade.”

Backing up Vitale from the microphone, Buono said he’s known in Trenton as “the conscience of the legislature…underscored by his actions last week,” subversively noting the leaked map squabble and Vitale’s willingness to stand up against Wisniewski.

“What Joe values is integrity and loyalty over power and self-interest,” she said, thanking “all of you who stood with us last week (and allowed) both of us to run” for Senate.

Wisniewski called the infighting “not helpful” to the party and hollow since no one has produced an opponent to the Sayreville statesman.

Of the oft-times Republican-friendly McCormac, Wisnieski said, “There’s not just one Democratic official in the state of New Jersey who’s not been following the Democratic Party step by step. You know who they are. I’m not going to name names, (but) it hurts us all (as a party).”

Each of the 15 Democratic legislators from Middlesex were nominated and approved for the party line tonight: 4th District representatives state Sen. Linda Greenstein of Plainsboro, and Assemblymen Wayne DeAngelo and Dan Benson, both of Hamilton; 17th District representatives Smith, and Assemblymen Joe Egan of North Brunswick and Upendra Chivukula of Franklin Township; 18th District representatives Buono, and Assemblymen Peter Barnes III of Edison and Patrick Diegnan of South Plainfield;19th District representatives Vitale, and Assemblymen Craig Coughlin of Woodbridge and Wisniewski; and 22nd District representatives state Sen. Nicholas Scutari of Linden, Assemblypersons Jerry Green of Plainfield and Linda Stender of Fanwood.

The committee also endorsed three candidates for a new four-county, GOP-leaning 16th District – where uprooted Democratic Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, (D-15), of Princeton, landed, although he has already made his intentions of moving back into the 15th District known.

While Gusciora hasn’t answered calls about his district-following move to Trenton, a source close to the Assemblyman assured PolitickerNJ that Gusciora is in fact the new owner of an apartment on State Street right across from the Statehouse.

Meanwhile, with four county approvals, the Middlesex Dems gave Hillsborough attorney Maureen Vella the nod as their Senate candidate in the new 14th, with Raritan Township teacher Marie Corfield, a town hall adversary of Gov. Chris Christie, and South Brunswick Councilman Joseph Camarota, accepting the nomination, down the ballot as Assembly candidates.

“It’s a tough district – a fighter’s district,” said South Brunswick Councilman Charlie Carley making the nomination.