Jim Johnson of Montclair received 18,275 votes off the line in Essex County last night in a Democratic Primary.

Compare that to what Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo received the last time he ran in 2014: 17,342 votes.

Now, the two outcomes are barely comparable.

Johnson allies in Newark today pointed out that Johnson ran off the line, while DiVincenzo had the buttressing of the Essex County Democratic ballot position.

But DiVincenzo ran in a non-gubernatorial election year, of course, without opposition, where the total turnout in the county executive’s was slightly north of what he won.

In Essex last night, Johnson received but a part of a 63,000 vote total in the Democratic Primary for Governor.

Still, there is considerable speculation today about the next move for Johnson, who generated over 100,000 votes in a (just barely) second place finish behind party nominee Phil Murphy.

His late bomb drop on the Murphy Campaign – the charge about Goldman Sachs’ slave trade complicity – didn’t endear him to the leader of the party, and should Johnson decide to again run against the Democratic establishment next year, DiVincenzo could find himself joined in his reelection cause by a motivated, warpaint wearing Governor Murphy.

Having said that, a source close to the Democratic nominee for governor noted today that “Phil doesn’t keep score. That’s not who he is.”

Still, progressive-minded Johnson fans may find irresistible the notion of a second act played against DiVincenzo, who endorsed Republican Governor Chris Christie’s reelection in 2013, then ran unchallenged a year later in the democratic Primary. The executive’s lone rebuke that year came in the form of a punishing convention speech delivered by state Senator Ronald Rice (D-28), who, it is said, was impressed by  Johnson.