Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano To Seek Reelection

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano announced his plans Monday to seek reelection to a second term in Morris County’s largest municipality.

Running with Mayor Soriano for township council are Cori Herbig, a public policy director with extensive legislative affairs experience, and Judy Hernandez, an engineer with a long record of volunteer service to Parsippany. The pair will replace Janice McCarthy and Emily Peterson who've opted to not run for reelection following a strained relationship with the mayor.

“My administration has worked tirelessly to reverse the mistakes of the past and make municipal government work on your behalf,” Mayor Soriano said. “We have made tremendous strides in the last three years towards building a township that puts your needs over political considerations. With Cori and Judy by my side, we will continue to make Parsippany the model for our neighboring towns to follow.”

Cori Herbig: Candidate for Township Council

Herbig is a resident of Lake Hiawatha and currently works as the director of state public policy at Mars, Inc., focusing primarily on issues of sustainability and animal health and welfare.

Prior to joining the Mars team, Cori worked at Everytown for Gun Safety, which includes Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, for five years, where she worked to pass gun violence prevention policies and preserve public safety laws throughout the country.

Earlier in her career, she spent 13 years advocating for animal welfare at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where she fought at the state and federal levels to keep animals safe from abuse and neglect. Before joining the ASPCA, Cori practiced housing law at Westchester/Putnam Legal Services, where she advocated to keep struggling families safe from unlawful eviction. She grew up in Chester and moved to Lake Hiawatha in 2013, where she now lives with her husband and two children.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Mayor Soriano and Judy Hernandez on the campaign trail this year.” Herbig stated. “I’m confident that Mayor Soriano, Judy, and I can keep Parsippany moving forward as we emerge from a year of unprecedented challenges and help ensure that Parsippany is one of the best places to live in the state! I love this town, and I’m eager to serve the people of Parsippany.”

Judy Hernandez: Candidate for Township Council

Hernandez is a 21-year resident of Parsippany, living in Glacier Hills with her husband and two children. Her professional experience is as a civil and environmental engineer and environmental advocate. She has worked on projects from the proposal, contract, and planning stages to design and construction.

She has also sat on the open space committee. Currently, she serves as vice chair on the Parsippany Environmental Advisory Committee, a member of the Parsippany Green Team, and as the Mayor’s designee on the Planning Board. Judy is also involved in her neighborhood association on the civic committee.

“Being on local committees and boards, I have built relationships with people of differing convictions, and I have learned that what we all have in common are similar concerns and goals,” Hernandez said. “Those goals are to have safe, nurturing, and healthy environments for all, from our youngest to our oldest residents. There is an opportunity for our shared goals to bring people together. I had the opportunity to run for Council in 2019, and I had met people by knocking on doors and listening to their concerns. Parsippany is a diverse township; we share many of the same concerns, and we can achieve our goals together.”

Early Endorsements

Following the mayor's announcement to seek re-election, Morris County Democratic Committee Chairman Chip Robinson endorsed the ticket.

“I am proud to support Cori Herbig and Judy Hernandez for Council. They ran a great campaign in 2019, and are great individuals who will faithfully serve the community on Council. Mayor Soriano, Cori, and Judy have our full support in their campaign this year," Robinson said.

Other early endorsements have also come from Morris County Democratic Political Director Leslye Moya and Parsippany Democratic Committee Chair Matt Clarkin.

What's Next?

The Soriano-Herbig-Hernandez team plan to hold a formal campaign kickoff later this month. The primary election will take place June 8, and the general election will be held on Nov. 2.

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