Pennacchio takes sides in Parsippany GOP chair fight

Parsippany Mayor Jamie Barberio’s decision to back the losing candidate in a stinging State Senate primary two weeks ago comes with a price:  State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio (R-Montville) is endorsing Suzy Golderer for Republican municipal chairman.

Golderer, the school board president, faces Barberio for the top leadership slot in Morris County’s largest municipality.

Despite Barberio’s public support for Morris County Commissioner Tom Mastrangelo (R-Montville) for the 26th district Senate seat, Pennacchio carried Parsippany by eleven percentage points.  Pennacchio beat Mastrangelo by twenty points districtwide.

“At this point in time, (the) Parsippany County Committee needs a consensus maker who will help unite this fractured county committee together,” said Pennacchio.  “(Golderer) will bring is hard work and determination in putting together a fragmented party and restoring it to a rightful position of leadership in Morris County.”

Initially, Pennacchio had planned to back Councilman Justin Musella, a Barberio foe, for municipal chairman  Musella decided to support Golderer instead.

“Coming from the governing council or Mayor brings with it unavoidable interjections of their own personal political self-interests,” Pennacchio stated.  “Suzy does not bring those lightning rod issues that the Mayor or Justin would have brought to the process.”

According to Pennacchio, Parsippany’s 78 county committee seats should make the township “a political force in Morris County.”

“Sadly, because of historical political infighting that has existed in Parsippany, it is not,” This past election showed that those divisions still exist.  One cannot actively support opposing candidates to endorsed county line and existing legislators one week, then ask to be made leader of the very organization they opposed the next.”

Barberio, the five-term senator says, “had taken every opportunity to express his disdain for the county (Republican) organization and its ‘line,’ now is asking to be its leader in Parsippany.”

The mayor endorsed Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains) for re-election; Webber was the top vote-getter in Parsippany.  And Barberio delivered a 39-vote plurality to Paul DeGroot in his bid to unseat County Commissioner Tayfun Selen (R-Chatham Township) in the primary.

But Barberio’s endorsement of former Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce (R-Parsippany) fell flat.  Brian Bergen (R-Denville), running in Parsippany for the first time, carried the municipality by 403 votes over former Parsippany Councilman Rob Peluso; DeCroce finished fourth, 84 votes behind Peluso and 919 votes behind Webber.

Webber had attempted to forge a peaceful transition of power from Dee dePierro, who is stepping down as municipal chair, suggesting Barberio as chairman and Golderer as vice chair.  Assemblyman Bergen is supporting Golderer.

“I have not been asked by Mayor Barberio … to be his vice Chair,” Golderer said in an email to county committee members.  “I have not agreed or accepted to run for vice chair.”

Golderer said Parsippany Republicans have “been hurt over the years by division and loss of trust in leadership.”

“I believe that we need to get back to basics of what it means to be Republican and what values do we as Republican town aspire to be known for,” she said.  “Civic Responsibility is lost, and many believe it is a thing of the past, we must make it popular again.  We are in the fight of our lives for values, principles, and elected officials we can look up to.”