Politics & Government
Parsippany Democrat Keeps Lead As More Votes Are Tallied
It continues to be a tight race for the Parsippany Town Council seats as more votes are counted ahead of the final certification.
PARSIPPANY, NJ — Although it looked like Republicans would retain power in Parsippany, as more votes are tabulated, a Democrat has taken the lead, according to unofficial numbers in Morris County.
As of Friday at 10:26 a.m., Democrat Judy Hernandez has taken the lead with 4,528 votes, with Republican Adam Kandil having 4,527 votes.
It's a very close contest, with Democrats Matt Kavanagh and Bernard Clarkin trailing with 4,438 and 4,390 votes, respectively, and Republicans Paul Carifi, Jr. and Matthew McGrath trailing with 4,642 and 4,568 votes, respectively.
Find out what's happening in Parsippanyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
If Hernandez maintains her lead, the council will have a 4-1 Republican majority with a Republican mayor.
It's important to keep in mind that these are the unofficial results for the 2023 general election and may not include early voting, vote-by-mail, provisional ballots, or write-in votes.
Find out what's happening in Parsippanyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Final certification of the results must be done by Nov. 22.
Despite the final certification, the Parsippany Democratic Committee has made an official statement on Hernandez's win.
"Parsippany Democrats! We could not be more thrilled to announce that Judy Hernandez has officially won a seat on the Parsippany-Troy Hills Town Council! This was an incredibly hard-fought victory…Don’t ever let anyone tell your vote doesn’t matter," the committee said on social media.
Long-time 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.
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.
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