Democrat Speaks Out Prior To Parsippany Election Recount

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The 2023 general election may have been last month, but the decision as to who will take over the three open seats on the Parsippany Town Council remains uncertain.

The Morris County Board of Elections has since announced a recount, although no official date for the recount has been set.

The board aims to schedule the recount for Dec. 12, according to officials, but that date has not yet been confirmed by a judge, an election official told Patch last week.

Judy Hernandez, a Democrat from Parsippany, finished fourth in the race for three open seats on the all-Republican town council at the end of Election Day, leaving Republicans Paul Carifi Jr., Adam Kandil, and Matt McGrath in the lead.

However, on Nov. 15, after counting provisional and last-minute mail-in ballots, she jumped to third place, only two votes ahead of Kandil. Her victory was certified on Nov. 22 by Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi.

If Hernandez maintains her win, the council will have a 4-1 Republican majority with a Republican mayor.

Long-time Republican council members Michael dePierro and Loretta Gragnani both previously announced that they would not be running for re-election in 2023.

dePierro announced his decision not to run for re-election during a council meeting in January. He also stepped down as council president, as planned, and handed over the gavel to new President Gragnani.

"It is now time to let go," dePierro said.

Gragnani later confirmed she would not run for re-election after serving two terms.

Despite the imminent recount, Hernandez recently shared her plans for serving on the town council.

"On Council, I look forward to working with the other members in a bipartisan effort to accomplish the needs of our community and those of the taxpaying residents. I have spoken with countless residents from Lake Hiawatha to Puddingstone, the communities of Lake Parsippany, Rainbow Lakes and all the neighborhoods in between. They share similar goals and concerns: tax fairness, traffic and overdevelopment, quality of life and maintaining and protecting open space and resources," Hernandez told Patch.

Hernandez is a 24-year resident of Parsippany and has previously served on the Parsippany Planning Board, the Environmental Advisory Committee, and the board for the Parsippany Child Day Care Center.

"There are opportunities to be a successful and sustainable town that are not being explored. I ran for Council to keep Parsippany the 'place to be.' Attracting business and addressing local infrastructure problems with sustainable solutions, including proactively protecting our open spaces and our natural resources, are absolutely attainable goals that our local government needs to achieve," Hernandez said. "My work on these issues will start on day one."