Facing re-election next year, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise won't rule out assuming the chairmanship of the embattled Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO). 

"I am not lobbying for it," the county executive told PolitickerNJ.com. "I'm not asking for it. The next choice may be a hard one. Jerry's (sitting HCDO chairman Jerry Healy) indicated he doesn't want to do it again. If everybody thought I would bring us some peace and tranquility, I would do it."

By not pursuing it, he has to also be careful about the office ending up in the hands of someone with a history of standing on the other side of a political divide.

The bad news on that front for DeGise is the short list candidate most likely to get the job is Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack, who ran a renegade 2007 state senate campaign against the HCDO and won off the line.

The good news is that a fragile peace also means fragile lines of demarcation even in the coldest of cold wars, and under the right circumstances - ie. Stack forcefully backing DeGise in 2011 - DeGise could be persuaded to support Stack.

"It's a tough job in these times in Hudson County," said DeGise, giving a nod to his own re-election season next year, followed by U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-Hoboken) re-election in 2012. 

Sources say Menendez likes Stack because of his organizational ability. Heading into next year, DeGise, of course, would require assurances from Stack that the Union City mayor wouldn't nurse an anti-establishment grudge and gun for him or other HCDO infrastructural players for personal reasons before closing ranks around Menendez a year later.

DeGise is confident he could work with Stack. He says the war wounds of three years ago have healed.

"The last thing we need now is another civil war," he said. "Another civil war could damage the party for a long time. We need to sit down and forge a consensus."

On Stack's side of the equation, the self-styled outsider would not only have to build peace between DeGise and state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City), but do something deeper, more controversial, that would inevitably ruffle county power: reform.

That's a delicate line for DeGise.

"Coming up with a consensus candidate is not going to be the easiest thing," the county executive said. "I have good relationships with all 12 mayors. Am I jumping up and down saying I want to be the next chairman, no; but I would do it to try to bring the party back. We have a big election next year, and the following year Senator Mendendez is going to be in what figures to be a pretty good dogfight."

DeGise has early eyeballed Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith as a potential successor to Healy. 

"Mark's a strong guy," he said. "If I was asked to sign off on Mark, I would. But Mark has his own election to worry about. I don't think he'll have too much of a problem there, but it's important for him to bring in five council candidates."

DeGise reemphasized that he could also see Stack. 

With Jersey City depleted of HCDO energy, much hinges on North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco's statement of support for an HCDO chairman. Given the leveraging powers of the mayors in this regard and Sacco's veteran stature, DeGise may ultimately have to fall in line, but not if Sacco goes elsewhere to find an HCDO chairman, and not if Stack turns down the job.