Well, better late than never. That’s the attitude among John McKeon allies who see him as a strong successor option to Matt Platkin in the attorney general’s office in the Mikie Sherrill Administration.

The former mayor of West Orange and sitting state senator from LD-27 almost snagged the AG slot for Governor Phil Murphy in the aftermath of Gurbir Grewal’s tenure but lost to Platkin.

Now he’s a front-runner for the top cop job.

Sources say Alex Ball will be chief-of-staff, and Tim Lyon chief counsel.

Cemented.

McKeon?

He’s in play.

Not only is he experienced and wonky – the senator commands respect as an environmental policy expert – but his departure from the legislature to go to the front office would perhaps contribute to a less bloody intraparty fight for Sherrill’s congressional seat.

At present, maybe Rosy Bagolie and certainly Brendan Gill appear to have their eyes fixed on Sherrill’s seat.

If Assemblywoman Bagolie gets the senate seat, that frees up Gill – the sitting Montclair Democratic Party chairman - for a less (Essex) complicated shot at Congress.

Of course, others will want the seat, too, among them Hunterdon County Democratic Committee Chairman Tom Malinowski (the former CD-7 congressman). Malinowski felt gypped during congressional redistricting and believes Sherrill’s support for his return to Congress would balance the deck of her district getting bluer at his expense.

But as of right now, if McKeon goes to Congress, Gill, a former state director for the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, and far more experienced than Bagolie, appears to be the favorite for the congressional seat. Too Essex-centric? Well, they earned it, runs the pushback, which they can offset elsewhere, presumably.

Certainly, no one should rule out other options, including at least one dark horse currently serving in a deputy capacity in the AG’s Office.

But consider McKeon to be one strong possibility as Sherrill’s version of Snake Plisskin, tasked with legally fighting – as sitting AG Platkin did, honorably - the onslaught of Trump directives aimed at turning New Jersey into Escape from New York.