He got the “other direction” call on Saturday morning, the day before Easter Sunday.

“I am very surprised and I am very shocked,” Morris County Freeholder John Cesaro told InsiderNJ.

His colleague, Morris Freeholder Deb Smith told him on the phone that she’d be running with former Freeholders John Krickus and Hank Lyon – and not with Cesaro.

“Deborah and I had been talking for several weeks,” said Cesaro, who said he was convinced they would run together.

“We keep talking about unity in Morris County and she wants to cross the line like this,” Cesaro said.

“She stabbed me in the back,” the freeholder added. “But it’s typical Debbie.”

As for a possible ticket of his own, Cesaro said, “I’m still assessing that.”