Parsippany Democrat wins by eight votes after recount

A recount in the Parsippany Township Council race today increased the margin of victory for Democrat Judy Hernandez from one vote to eight.

Hernandez has now defeated Republican Adam Kandil, 4,537 to 4,529, after a recount request made by Kandil.  She picked up nine votes and Kadil added two to his total.

She will become the only Democrat on the governing body in Morris County’s largest municipality.  Hernandez is the first Democrat to win local office in Parsippany since 2017.

Republican Matt McGrath was the top vote-getter with 4,570 votes, gaining two in the recount; his running mate, two-term incumbent Paul Carifi, Jr., picked up four votes and finished with 4,646.

Hernandez’s Democratic running mates, Matt Kavanagh (4,453) and Bernard Clarkin (4,400), were unsuccessful.  The recount increased Kavanaugh’s vote total by 15 and Clarkin’s by 10.

Two veteran GOP incumbents stepped down this year: Michael de Pierro and Loretta Grannani.