Morris County Republicans sweep commissioner seats; Gannon to remain sheriff

Morris County Sheriff James Gannon went 1-for-2 on Election Day; he lost as the running mate to Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, but he won re-election to the sheriff’s office, a race in which he had no opponent.

Three Republican county commissioners, Douglas Cabana (104,400), Thomas Mastrangelo (105,569) and Christine Myers (105,659) won re-election by margins that are a little less than what they are accustomed to; they defeated Democrats Boonton Councilwoman Marie DeVenezia (97,376), Chatham Councilwoman Jocelyn Mathiasen (95,458), and Max Blum (94,126), the chief of staff to Essex County Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill. 

Cabana is one of the longest-serving county commissioners in the state; he was first elected in 1997 as part of a slate that unseated one-term Freeholder Chris Christie.  The term he just won is his eleventh.

Mastrangelo was elected in 2010 and was re-elected to his sixth term. Myers served as a freeholder before leaving to take a post at the Small Business Administration during President Donald Trump’s first term.  She returned to her county post three years ago.

Democrats have not won a countywide election in Morris since 1973.

Mikie Sherrill, though, won Morris County by about half a percentage point in her strong gubernatorial victory.