Long expected to be the frontrunner for U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s (R-11) seat in a vacuum, Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26) refused in a statement today to tread on Frelinghuysen’s announcement with the revving of his own engines.

That statement is here.

But two sources with knowledge of the assemblyman’s thinking told InsiderNJ that the Assemblyman will take a hard look at a run this year.

“Jay would be nuts not to strongly consider it,” a source said.

A Harvard-educated attorney and patriarch of a big family, with a rep as a sharp-elbowed and highly detail-oriented campaigner, the conservative Webber stunned the GOP establishment with a strong and ultimately unsuccessful 2003 run against then-Senator Bob Martin.

In 2007, Webber outworked, outhustled, and out-messaged his rival to wrench an assembly seat away from the GOP establishment-backed Larry Casha.