Morris County election results: Parsippany mayor survives challenge in heated GOP primary
PARSIPPANY — Mayor James Barberio appears to have emerged as the victor in one of the most contentious local primaries in recent Morris County memory.
Unofficial results from the township clerk on Tuesday night showed Barberio leading Councilman Justin Musella by about 600 votes to secure the Republican nomination and a spot on the November ballot as he seeks his fourth term in office.
As of 10 p.m., those returns showed Barberio ahead by a count of 3,115 to 2,559. That was enough for Musella to leave his campaign headquarters to congratulate Barberio at his watch party at the Lake Parsippany Clubhouse."I said we have to get behind him and beat the Democrats in November," Musella said.
Those uncertified results also showed Barberio's council running makes — incumbent Frank Neglia and Jigar Shah —ahead of Musella's council slate of Casey Parikh and John Bielen. Neglia had 2,939 votes, followed by Shah (2,413), Bielen (2,371) and Parikh (2,151).
The county clerk must certify election results by June 23. Barberio's next challenge will be a faceoff with Democratic candidate Pulkit Desai, whose ticket was unchallenged in the primary. The winner will claim the office of the only full-time mayor in Morris County, leading a municipality of almost 60,000 residents.
"I gave it my all, and the voters chose otherwise," Musella said. "I have to respect that outcome and honor my words to support him if I lost. I told my supporters the same thing."
Barberio, who has served three non-consecutive terms in office so far, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The race saw prominent supporters change sides in recent months.
Several Board of Education members initially signaled support for Musella. They were angered by tax breaks known as PILOTs — payments in lieu of taxes — that allegedly shortchanged the school district. Then-board president Andrew Choffo introduced Musella at his campaign kickoff last June, which was also attended by state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who's seeking the GOP nod for governor.
An incensed Barberio promised an audit of Board of Education finances last September, though he recently stated that review was "on hold."
Musella also had early support from Morris County Republican Committee Chair Laura Ali, who withheld an endorsement of Barberio in 2021 when he ran in a rematch with Soriano. This time around, Ali again refused to back Barberio, branding him "the highest paid and least qualified mayor in Morris County."
More: See North Jersey 2025 primary results for Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Morris counties
But in January, Ali switched sides and got behind the mayor. She said she wanted to end the feud and gear up for a competitive general election in November.
"The 2025 election cycle poses significant challenges, and I strongly believe a united front is essential for ensuring Republican success," Ali wrote in a letter to both mayoral candidates.
She offered to back Musella for council if he withdrew from the mayor's race. Musella said no.
"Our campaign to end the cycle of corruption, over-taxation and taxpayer-funded overdevelopment in Parsippany, once and for all, cannot be intimidated," the challenger declared.
Musella first ran for a council seat in the 2021 primary with the county committee-endorsed Louis Valori for mayor. Valori lost, but Musella secured a council nomination and joined Frank Neglia on a Barberio slate that swept into office that November.
Ali wasn't the only turnaround. Choffo surprised many when he switched sides and backed Barberio at the mayor's campaign announcement in February. Weeks later, Barberio announced he had reached an agreement with the school board on how to share the PILOT revenue and ensure the district receives its expected funds.
Another controversy arose when Barberio announced in a campaign video that he had reached an agreement for a memorandum of understanding between Town Hall and the school board on revenue sharing, negotiated with Choffo. Within hours, current board President Alison Cogan issued a statement saying no agreement had been signed and that the mayor's pronouncement was "inaccurate."
Barberio responded by insisting he and Choffo had come to terms and blamed the board for not acting on "this historic agreement that would greatly benefit our students, teachers, and school system."
Two board members, Tim Berrios and Jack Raia, remained public supporters of the Musella campaign.
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris County election results: Parsippany mayor survives GOP primary
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