Parsippany Councilman To Challenge Mayor In 2025 GOP Primary

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A Republican member of Parsippany's Town Council is looking to challenge incumbent James Barberio in the mayoral primary next year, as multiple news outlets have reported.

Justin Musella is expected to announce his bid for mayor of the county's most-populous town on Saturday, June 29 at a 1 p.m. press conference outside the Republican Party of Morris County headquarters (51 Gibraltar Drive, Morris Plains).

The first-term councilman has often disagreed with Barberio on issues including PILOT projects, town government transparency, and the annual budget.

Ahead of the news conference, Musella told Patch he would not comment further than a statement he gave TAPinto Parsippany.

In the statement, Musella said he wants to continue pushing for transparency and encouraging residents to be involved in their local government.

"For the past three years, I made it my goal to be your voice in Town Hall," the statement said in part. "I plan on continuing to fight for residents as well as engage taxpayers with more accessible community events."

Musella was elected in November of 2021 at the age of 29, after serving on the Parsippany-Troy Hills Economic Advisory Committee and as chairman of the Morris County Young Republicans.

He was part of an opposing Republican ticket in the that year's municipal election primary, as Barberio was running off the county line to re-gain the mayor's office after being unseated in 2017.

Musella lives in town with his wife Courtney, and is a 2013 graduate of Emory University in Atlanta. The news of his expected campaign for mayor was first reported by the New Jersey Globe.

Barberio was first elected as Parsippany's mayor in 2009, and re-elected in 2013 before Democrat Michael Soriano defeated him in the 2017 election. Barberio defeated Soriano to regain the seat in 2021.

The mayor previously made comments about Musella and the county GOP chair on NJ101.5 host Bill Spadea's show, indicating he expected the councilman to run against him.