PARSIPPANY - LeRoy Jones, the state chair of the Democratic Party, wasn't shy about presenting an unpleasant truth.

"We have three-and-a-half years left of Donald Trump," Jones told about 60 Democrats Sunday afternoon.

But don't fret, there's hope on the horizon. Or rather a "firewall."

Her name is Mikie Sherrill.

As the days wind down to Tuesday's primary, Jones spent the day touring the state with Sherrill, who has been endorsed by many party leaders.

This stop was in Morris County's largest town and smack in the middle of Sherrill's CD-11.

Jones said Sherrill is the best gubernatorial candidate to stand up to Trump and "blunt" whatever the Administration throws at New Jersey.

She is the only woman in the race, a fact Jones highlighted thusly:

"Mikie Sherrill is a mom - and you don't mess around with the hand that rocks the cradle."

Jones also zeroed in on Jack Ciattarelli, the presumed Republican nominee.

He said Ciattarelli used to be a moderate, but now he's 100 percent MAGA. This was a partisan gathering, but Jones' interpretation rings true.

The state chair also had arithmetic in mind. He noted that Kamala Harris got about 500,000 fewer votes in New Jersey last fall than Joe Biden got in 2020.

He said that can't happen again. The answer is for Democrats to vote and to encourage like-minded folk to do the same.

With six people in the field, this has been an eventful primary. It ends Tuesday, but beginning Wednesday Jones said he has another task.

That's unifying and galvanizing the party for November.

For the record, all the Democratic candidates have pledged to support the primary winner.