Parsippany's rival Republican mayoral candidates agree to debate in online forum
Parsippany's rival Republican mayoral candidates — incumbent James Barberio and Councilman Justin Musella — will take their bitter primary fight to a debate next month.
Barberio and Musella have clashed in public practically since they took office after running together four years ago and will face off in the June GOP primary for the right to lead the town of 56,000 people, Morris County's largest.
But first, they'll meet in a virtual debate to be conducted May 15 by the League of Women Voters' Morris Area chapter and cosponsored by the Daily Record. The candidates will meet on Zoom starting at 7 a.m. on the LWV Morris YouTube channel.
The debate will also be sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Morristown Alumnae Chapter.
"League-sponsored events are strictly nonpartisan," the debate announcement states. "The League does not support or oppose any political candidate or party." The Daily Record is covering the election but will not make any municipal or county candidate endorsements.
Barberio, 64, is seeking a fourth term in office, after being elected in 2009 and 2013, losing in 2017 and then reclaiming the post in 2021. He is running on a ticket with two town council candidates: current Council Vice President Frank Neglia and Jigar Shah, who the mayor appointed during his first term as his liaison to the large Indian American community in town.
Musella, 33, was elected with Barberio and Neglia, but has broken with his fellow Republicans in the council majority on the developer tax breaks known as PILOTs, or payments in lieu of taxes, as well as the township's adoption of project labor agreements that favor larger unions for big municipal projects.
The latest GOP conflict, in March, involved a failed attempt by Barberio and his council allies to censure Musella for presenting his council credentials to a township police officer during a 2023 traffic stop for speeding. Following a public outcry at a council meeting — which had to be rescheduled due to an overflow crowd — the censure resolution was withdrawn.
Barberio picked up a surprise supporter earlier this year in Morris County Republican Chair Laura Ali, who previously had supported Musella. She dismissed Barberio last year as "the highest-paid and least-qualified mayor in Morris County."
But in January, Ali called for Musella to abandon his run for mayor and accept a council nomination.
"The 2025 election cycle poses significant challenges, and I strongly believe a united front is essential for ensuring Republican success in the general election," Ali wrote in a letter to the candidates at the time.
Musella declined Ali's offer, saying, "Our campaign to end the cycle of corruption, over-taxation and taxpayer-funded overdevelopment in Parsippany, once and for all, cannot be intimidated."
Musella went on to name two council candidates as part of his own ticket, Casey Parikh and John Bielen.
The GOP council candidates currently have no plans to debate. Parikh and Bielen agreed to take part in a League of Women Voters forum but Neglia and Shah declined.
"Mayor Barberio, Jigar, and myself work together as a team and we all share the same vision for our great town," Neglia said. "Together, we agreed it would be best to have Mayor Barberio represent all of us and believe that my record and Jigar's business acumen will inspire Parsippany residents to support our ticket."
More: Parsippany Democrats promise less drama, more focus on governing in mayor, council races
Democrats have endorsed Pulkit Desai, president of the Lake Parsippany Property Owner's Association, for mayor and Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel for council. Unopposed in the primary, they will meet the winners of the Republican race in the November general election.
The Puddingstone Community Club also announced it has invited Barberio, Musella and Desai to a debate on May 21 and that Musella and Desai have agreed to participate. The debate would be livestreamed but limited to an in-person audience of 80 people.
On Wednesday, Barberio told the Daily Record his campaign coordinator is discussing the format and other details with the Puddingstone event coordinator. "I'm sure we'll have some sort of solution," he said.
Musella is a resident of the Puddingstone section of Parsippany. The club has hosted candidate forums in the past, including one in 2017. Barberio lives in the Lake Hiawatha section of town.
Democrats have historically struggled to win and hold council seats in the county's largest municipality. But Barberio is the only Parsippany Republican to win the mayor's office in more than 30 years, and only one of two GOP candidates elected to the office in nearly half a century
Republican Frank Priore was removed from office after 12 years following his conviction on mail fraud, bribery and other charges in 1994. Priore served a five-year sentence. He died in 2022.
Democrat Mimi Letts then served from 1994 to 2005, when she declined to run for another term. Letts died in 2019.
Priore was preceded by Democrat Jack Fahy, who served from 1974 to 1982, when Priore unseated him. Fahy succeeded Democrat Henry Luther, who was in office from 1966 to 1974. Luther declined to run for re-election in 1973.
Luther's son, Michael Luther, also a Democrat, succeeded Letts before losing his re-election bid to Barberio in 2009. Barberio won re-election in 2013, but lost his bid for a third term to Soriano in 2017. Barberio returned the favor in 2021, beating Soriano in their rematch.
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Parsippany NJ mayor race: Barberio, Musella to hold GOP primary debate
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