It all came down to Essex and Passaic counties.   

That was the candid acknowledgement today of state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio in discussing his decision not to enter the race to succeed the retiring Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen in the 11th District. 

Pennacchio, R-26th, said he was unsure of getting “the line,” in Essex and Passaic counties. And without it, “Why go through all this trouble?”

Pennacchio’s bowing out of a race that began merely a week ago came two days after Assemblyman Jay Webber, who represents the same 26th District, said he was “all in.” On Monday morning,  Webber released a list of almost 50 supporters. 

In the wake of Webber’s announcement last Saturday, Pennacchio gave all intentions of running, saying he’d be issuing his own release very soon.

And he did – on Monday morning. 

But it said he would not enter the race. 

What happens in Essex and Passaic counties, which represents about 40 percent of the district, may be key to who gets the nod to run for Congress on the Republican ticket. Political parties in both counties endorse candidates in primaries, which is known as getting the “county line.”  Candidates so anointed have the advantage of running with the backing of the county Republican organization. 

Morris County Republicans do not have a county line, which allows all candidates to run equally. That may be a more democratic system, but it also can adversely impact candidates longing for public organization support.

And in this case, uncertainty about getting “the line”  in Essex and Passaic drove Pennacchio from a race, albeit one that he hadn’t officially entered. 

The sands can shift quickly, as we have seen, but other names mentioned as possible candidates include Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, R-25th, Morris County Freeholders Tom Mastrangelo, Kate Whitman, Christine Meyers, and state Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-40th.

Pennacchio, who did run unsuccessfully for Congress in 1994, said he had been lining up supporters. But after talking it over with his wife and confronting the political reality in Essex and Passaic counties, he decided Sunday to stay where he is – in the state Senate.

Pennacchio said he likes what he’s doing in the Senate and that new Governor Phillip Murphy definitely needs some “loyal opposition.” 

Noting that he was just reelected last year to a four-year term, Pennacchio said he’s looking forward to working with Democrats on what he hopes will be bipartisan legislation. 

That includes a new school aid finding formula and getting money to upkeep Greenwood Lake, which spans northern Passaic County and New York state, He said he also wants to create some type of state initiative that helps individuals who are wrongly convicted, partly on the principle that if an innocent person is in jail, a guilty person is not. 

There was also the reality of winning the seat and going to Washington as a freshman congressman. 

“Do I want to go to Washington and start over?” he asked. “You know the way it works. You have to be there for years before you can make decisions.” 

That’s a problem, however, many politicians are longing to have.

Bucco said this morning that he’s still making phone calls and will make a final decision soon, noting that the party needs a “strong candidate.“ 

Bucco said the best approach would be if the party avoided a nasty primary and coalesced around one candidate.

“Hopefully, that candidate can be me” he said.