Recount Of Votes Finished In Close Parsippany Election: See If The Results Changed

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Although election season ended more than a month ago, the Parsippany-Troy Hills community was still unsure as to who would be sworn into town council come January.

However, a recount by the Morris County Board of Elections on Tuesday confirmed that Democrat Judy Hernandez has officially won a seat on the Parsippany Council.

Hernandez 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 by Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi; however, Morris County Republican Committee Chair Laura Ali told Patch that the committee was going to be filing for a recount to dispute the results.

According to a statement from the Parsippany Democratic Committee, the final tally in the recount shows Hernandez with an eight-vote lead over the next highest candidate.

With Hernandez on the council, the town will now have a 4-1 Republican majority with a Republican mayor.

The results of the recount today are as follows:

• Judy Hernandez: 4537
• Bernard Clarkin: 4400
• Matt Kavanagh: 4453
• Paul Carifi Jr: 4646
• Adam Kandil: 4529
• Matt McGrath: 4570

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.

"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 stated that attracting business and tackling local infrastructure challenges with long-term solutions, such as proactively conserving our open spaces and natural resources, are completely feasible goals that the local government must achieve.