Chester Mayor Advances As Candidate In 2023 Assembly Race

CHESTER, NJ — Mike Inganamort, mayor of Chester Township, has advanced in his bid for an open Assembly seat in the 24th legislative district.

Inganamort, who announced his candidacy with Sussex County Commissioner Dawn Fantasia on Jan. 18, citing the need for "fresh, new conservative leaders in NJ-24," won the Republican primary for two Assembly seats.

As it currently stands, Inganamort received 2,330 votes, while his running mate, Fantasia, received 2,269 during the primary election.

The Morris County clerk has not certified the totals yet. To make the tally official, the final certification of the results must be done on June 19.

"I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for all the people involved in this campaign and for all of the support we received across Sussex, Morris, and Warren Counties. If elected in November, it will be a privilege to represent my home county and my hometown in the legislature," Inganamort told Patch.

There are two open State Assembly seats in the 24th legislative district this election season, as incumbents Parker Space (R-Wantage) and Hal Wirths (R-Wantage) previously announced their intention to not seek re-election.

Inganamort and Fantasia went up against three other Republican nominations during the primary, which was held on Tuesday, June 6.

According to the Morris County Clerk's Office, candidate Joshua Aikens got 1,822 votes, Jason Sarnoski got 1,795 votes, and Robert Kovic got 366 votes.

In November, Inganamort and Fantasia will go up against the sole Democratic candidate, Baramdai "Alicia" Sharma. During the primary, Sharma received 1,949 votes.

Inganamort, who was elected mayor of Chester Township last November, ran for the Republican nomination after the previous mayor, Marcia Asdal, decided not to run for re-election in the 2022 election cycle.

According to Inganamort, his decision to run for State Assembly was not premeditated; he said that he made the decision one week before announcing his candidacy.

Both Inganamort and Fantasia are running on a conservative platform, with the main issues being tax cuts, police support and a review of the current school funding formula.

While the general election season does not begin until the fall, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 7, Inganamort has reaffirmed his commitment to Chester Township while he is mayor.

"I have a job in front of me, and I look forward to making a lot of progress in Chester Township this year, including opening several new amenities in our parks, approving our 2023 capital budget, releasing an RFP for the Glenlora site, and continuing our aggressive road maintenance program," Inganamort said. "If I am elected in November and take office in January, the County Committee process will determine my successor as mayor."