Morris County election results: GOP leads in Parsippany, Morristown eyes leaf-blower ban
Parsippany Republicans held a small lead in their bid to keep a council majority in Morris County's largest municipality while parental-rights candidates were poised to win heated school board races in Hanover and Roxbury, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's election.
Morristown voters, meanwhile, appeared ready to adopt restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers that the town council had refused to approve. One year before the next presidential election, county voters went to the polls with a variety of county and municipal elections to be decided.
Election results: See our live file of results for notable and contested Morris County races
In addition to municipal races for mayoral and council seats in towns such as Parsippany, Morristown and Mount Olive, eyes were also on races for local boards of education, where policies over LGBTQ-themed books, transgender students and parental notification have generated controversy.
Here's a look at what we know amid early, unofficial results from the Morris County Clerk's Office:
Morris County Clerk, commissioner races
Based on the votes posted by early Wednesday morning, incumbent Republicans, as expected, dominated the county-wide races, producing a comfortable victory for Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi. Grossi collected 58,482 votes - the most of any candidate in Morris County - to outdistance Carrie O'Brien's 44,994.
In the only county commissioner seat up for grabs this year, incumbent Tayfun Selen leads Democratic challenger Jonathan Sackett, 54,684 votes to 47,115.
Municipal offices in Dover, Boonton, Parsippany
Contested mayoral races appeared decided in Boonton, Dover, Mount Olive and Rockaway Township. Republicans James Lynch of Boonton, Joe Nicastro of Mount Olive and James Jackson of Rockaway Township have comfortable leads in their downs, as does Dover Democrat James Dodd, who has likely reclaimed the office he lost to four years ago to incumbent Mayor Carolyn Blackman.
The most notable council race was in Parsippany, where three Democrats hoped to crack the all-GOP hold on town hall. With two incumbents retiring, Republican Paul Carifi Jr. is the lone candidate running for re-election. He and fellow Republicans Adam Kandil and Matt McGrath held a slight lead early Wednesday morning, with less than 300 votes separating the six candidates.
Several Morris County mayors ran unopposed for re-election: Tom Andes in Denville, Joseph Pannullo in East Hanover, Mark Taylor in Florham Park, Robert Conley in Madison, Sam Morris in Mine Hill, Elmer Still in Netcong, Paul Carelli in Riverdale and Thomas Mulligan in Rockaway. In Chatham, Councilwoman Carolyn Dempsey is running unopposed for the mayor's office after Thaddeus Kobylarz declined to run.
Morris County election guide 2023: Races to watch in Parsippany, Morristown and beyond
Morristown leaf blower ban
Morristown voters appeared ready to approve a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in town from January to September. The proposal had the support of 1,345 voters, with 1,120 opposed, according to the preliminary totals. The Morristown Council failed to approve the ban earlier in the year, but agreed to put the questions to voters this fall.
The election may not end the debate. as Morristown could find itself facing legal challenges from residents and landscapers seeking to overturn the law. In Essex County, Montclair faces multiple lawsuits after passing a similar ban earlier this year.
School boards and parental-rights
Candidates who say they're fighting to assert parental-rights at school did well in Hanover and Roxbury, where the current boards of education have been embroiled in the national debate over gender issues and LGBTQ-themed reading materials. The disputes have fueled legal fights in both communities; The state Attorney General dragged Hanover into court over a parental notification policy this year; in Roxbury, a high school librarian sued for defamation over the harsh rhetoric directed her way by local residents.
In Roxbury, a "Back to Basics" ticket that declared, "We do not believe in keeping secrets from parents" swept three seats from an opposing ticket more willing to follow state guidelines.
A similar scenario unfolded in Hanover in a race for three seats.
"Our team is troubled by the inability to notify parents on the mental health concerns of their children occurring in school property," the ticket of William McCabe, Christopher Mattessich and Michele Stricchiola declard online during the campaign. on its website.
"We, as a team, believe that the family unit is the core of the American society and believe that parents should be fully informed of the well-being of their children when under the care of outside parties."
Their slate led in the results released Tuesday night.
More: Sparta school board critics win three seats, vowing to end 'dog-whistle' politics
Moms for Liberty endorsements
Overall, the national Moms For Liberty organization and its Morris County chapter saw mixed results from its school board endorsement list. Only five of 12 candidates on its list appear to have won in Morris County races − three in Washington Township and two of three in Parsippany. Three more endorsed candidates fell short in Pequannock along with single candidates running in Harding, Rockaway Township and for the Washington Township seat on the West Morris Regional Board of Education.
In Sparta, a slate of candidates critical of the local board's conservative stances as well as a big tax increase won three seats on Tuesday, ousting two incumbents, according to unofficial results.
Moms for Liberty, a national parental rights group with chapters in South Jersey and in Morris and Bergen counties has called for the removal of books it deems inappropriate for young readers since 2021. The organization has said it's fighting to allow parents more say in when children are exposed to overly sexual materials and gender issues. It's been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for undermining public education and opposing inclusive curricula.
The group backed more candidates in Morris County than the rest of the counties in New Jersey combined, but did not make endorsements in Hanover or Roxbury. Kristen Cobo, vice chair for the Morris County Moms For Liberty chapter, is one of four Roxbury residents named as defendants in the defamation lawsuit filed in March by Roxbury High Librarian Roxana Russo Caivano.
Caivano's suit alleges that those residents have labeled her a "child predator" and accused her of "luring children with pornography" because of certain books approved for circulation in the library, including some state-approved LGBTQ+ and gender-themed titles that contain explicit sexual content.
Cobo clarifies that she and other defendants in the lawsuit have objected "as private citizens" to "all kinds of books" containing such graphic sexual content and images.
Unofficial results
Some races were too close to call after unofficial results posted last night. All election results are unofficial pending certification of the results by the County Clerk's office no later than Nov. 27.
William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com
Twitter: @wwesthoven
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Morris County NJ election results: Council, school board races tight
