Republicans Have Strong Showing In Morris County Races

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — There were no surprises in county-level races in Morris County last night, with Republicans winning all three county-level races and either winning or leading in statehouse races.

The traditionally Republican county continued to vote Republican, voting in the Republican incumbent Sheriff and freeholders. A new surrogate was elected for the first time in 25 years, but voters stuck with a familiar party, voting for the Republican candidate in a solid win over her Democratic challenger.

Although not all statehouse races are decided as of 10:15 a.m., Republicans had a strong showing across the county, either winning or leading in all of the districts that cover Morris County.

All results remain unofficial until they are certified by the election clerk, but here is how election night shaped up around Morris County.

Sheriff:

• Rep James Gannon 64,259
• Dem William Schievella 44,104

" Thank you for making this Election Day one I will always remember. As you all know, I've been traveling throughout Morris County and have had the opportunity to meet many of you - that is something I am both proud of, and happy about," Gannon said in a statement. "As Morris County Sheriff, I have the distinct honor of serving each and every one of you and will continue to do so with your help! God Bless you. Be safe. I look forward to seeing you out there as we work together to keep Morris County one of the best places to live in America!"

Schievella has not yet issued a statement.

Surrogate:

• Rep Heather Darling 59,560
• Dem Michael T. Thompson 46,589

"I look forward to taking on the tasks I set out to accomplish when I decided to run for this office. First and foremost, making the Surrogate's office a well known resource for Morris County seniors, special needs citizens and their families," Darling said in a statement. "I also look forward to bringing affordable legal representation to qualified families and individuals. Finally, I look forward to implementing basic programs to protect seniors from scams that often follow probate."

Darling commended Thompson for "standing up and running," while adding, "I cannot say that I am unhappy the voters did not choose him."

Thompson conceded the race Wednesday morning, saying in a statement, "Thank you to everyone that supported me in this race. While I am disappointed in the result, I know I could not have come this far without your hard work, generosity and kindness. Much work remains ahead of us, but let's get a little rest in the meantime. Onward!"

Board of Chosen Freeholders (vote for 3):

• Rep Douglas Cabana 58,174
• Rep Thomas Mastrangelo 57,747
• Rep Kathy DeFilippo 59,069
• Dem Cara Parmigiani 47,871
• Dem Cary Amaro 46,840
• Dem David Timpanaro 45,791

"Thank you to all who voted today in Morris County and thank you for your vote of confidence in me. I look forward to serving you for another 3 years along with my running mates Doug Cabana and Tom Mastrangelo," DeFilippo said.

"Thank you for your support. We fought the good fight. It was an amazing experience," Parmigiani said.

Voters also favored Republicans in statehouse races in Morris County. Morris County voters favored incumbent Republicans F. Parker Space and Hal Wriths in the 24th District, over challenging Democrats Deana Lykins and Dan Soloman Smith.

All other statehouse races that Morris County would have voted on still remain too close to call, according to the Associated Press and the New York Times. In all races, the Republican ticket currently leads:

• In the 26th District, Republicans Jay Webber and BettyLou DeCroce lead over Democrats Laura Fortgang and Christine Clark.
• Republicans lead in the 40th District, where Kevin Rooney and Christopher DePhillips are head of Maria Martini Cordonnier and Julie O'Brien.
• In NJ-21, Republicans incumbents Jon Bramnick and Nancy Munoz lead Democrats Lisa Mandelblatt and Stacey Gunderman.
• In NJ-25, current Republican State Senator Tony Bucco and runningmate Brian Bergen lead Democrats Lisa Bhimani and Darcy Draeger in a closely watched race.

In closely contested races without any candidates conceding, results can take several days. Results are not considered official until the county election clerk counts mail-in and provision ballots, and certifies the results.

Morris County followed state trends to vote overwhelming in favor of providing a tax deduction for veterans living in nursing homes. The county voted in favor of the deduction, 69,039 (78.81 percent) to 18,565 (21.19 percent). Overall, the state approved it 75.4 percent to 24.6 percent.