Rodney Frelinghuysen has been largely out of sight for the better part of a year. Even while still in office,  Frelinghuysen had virtually no public involvement with his old colleagues in the Morris County Republican Party, and of more significance perhaps, no visible role in last fall’s congressional campaign of Jay Webber.

Things didn’t change much when he left office in January. The now-former congressman from District 11 reportedly has fended off a possible retirement tribute and rejected invitations to events he once quickly accepted.

So it was surprising Wednesday to see Frelinghuysen’s name at the top of a list of GOP officials endorsing Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco’s reelection bid in the 25th District. It’s not that Bucco really needs the endorsement. As the only incumbent in a race with three others, Bucco seems certain to snag one of the two party nominations.

The interesting thing is that Frelinghuysen has emerged from a seeming self-imposed exile to lend his name to Bucco’s campaign. Some of the other endorsers, including Sheriff James Gannon, Freeholder Steve Shaw and Randolph Mayor Jim Loveys, are individually quoted extolling Bucco’s virtues.

Frelinghuysen is not, but his name is there.

Those with long memories will recall that more than 20 years ago, Frelinghuysen, who was then in his first year as a congressman, also stepped up and endorsed a Bucco for the Assembly. That was 1995 and the candidate was now state Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, the assemblyman’s father.

The elder Bucco won, defeating, among others, a county freeholder named Chris Christie.

Now that Frelinghuysen apparently is ready to endorse in 2019, an open question is whether he will publicly back Assembly candidate Aura Dunn, a former officer staffer of his.