Barberio Inches Ahead In Mayoral Race, Democrats Take Council Seats: Unofficial Results

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Incumbent Republican James Barberio is looking to be Parsippany’s mayor for a fifth time, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election. However, it appears two Democrats have clinched the two spots on Parsippany’s Council.

Barberio was facing Democrat Pulkit Desai in a race for mayor on Tuesday, who maintained a healthy lead for much of the evening. However, Barberio seemed to have narrowly pulled ahead as the final votes were tallied.

As the unofficial results stand, Barberio holds just over 200 votes ahead of Desai. See the results below, provided by the Morris County Clerk's Office:

• Barberio, Republican — 9,542 votes (50.39%)
• Desai, Democrat —9,333 votes (49.92%)

Barberio was seeking another four-year term, having served as Parsippany’s mayor from 2010 to 2018. After losing his third re-election attempt in 2017 to Democrat Michael Soriano, Barberio returned in 2021 to beat Soriano and has served as the town’s mayor since.

If these results are certified, Barberio will be the mayor of Parsippany for his fifth, non-consecutive term.

Parsippany’s race wasn’t a complete win for the Republicans, however, as it seems newcomer Democrats Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel swept the two available seats on council, taking one from a Republican incumbent.

See the unofficial results below:

• Frank Neglia, (Incumbent) Republican — 8,401 votes (23.16%)
• Jigar Shah, Republican — 7,962 votes (21.95%)
• Diya Patel, Democrat — 9,802 votes (27.02%)
• Matt Kavanagh, Democrat — 10,056 (27.72%)

Diya Patel, a 23-year-old law student, and Matt Kavanagh, a self-employed 45-year-old, will be sworn in to Parsippany’s council in January once results are certified.

"We are honored and humbled to officially be elected as your next Parsippany Town Councilmembers," the winning Democrats said in a statement. "This campaign was always about one thing; the people of Parsippany. From day one, we set out to listen, to serve, and to make sure every resident felt heard and represented...Together, we made history, electing a team that reflects our town’s values, diversity, and shared vision for a stronger, more united community. We also made history by electing Diya Patel as the first Indian American and member of GenZ to sit on Town Council!"

All results are unofficial until certified by the county clerk.