Marine Combat Veteran Pulkit Desai Sworn in as Mayor of Parsippany After Court Battles and Democratic Sweep
- As first Asian American mayor of the township, Desai’s elevation came on the heels of Zohran Mamdani becoming the mayor of the neighboring New York City.
On Saturday afternoon, January 3, 2026, Pulkit Desai stood before family, community members, and New Jersey’s Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill at the Parsippany Municipal Building and took the oath of office as the township’s new mayor—becoming the first Asian American and first person of Indian descent to lead Morris County’s largest municipality.
The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by State Senator Raj Mukherji as Desai’s wife Sangeeta, family members, and longtime Parsippany resident Mary Purzycki looked on, marked the culmination of one of the most dramatic municipal elections in New Jersey history: a razor-thin 80-vote victory out of nearly 20,000 cast, three legal challenges from the defeated incumbent, and a Democratic sweep that gave the party control of township government for the first time since 1984.
“I am deeply grateful to every resident who participated in this year’s election, whether you voted for me or not,” said Desai, 60, who lives in Lake Parsippany, according to Parsippany Focus.
Desai defeated Republican incumbent James Barberio by just 80 votes in the November 2025 election—50.05% to 49.65%—in what local observers called one of the tightest municipal contests in township history.
The initial election night count told a different story. According to New Jersey Globe, Barberio led Desai by 211 votes, 9,555 to 9,339. But when the Morris County Board of Elections counted provisional and vote-by-mail ballots on November 12, 2025, Desai surged ahead to a lead of 9,976 to 9,898.
According to Parsippany Focus reporting from November 19, 2025, the official final tally gave Desai 9,978 votes to Barberio’s 9,898—a margin of exactly 80 votes.
Barberio did not accept defeat quietly. According to Insider NJ, the incumbent Republican mayor filed three separate legal challenges to the election results.
On December 23, 2025—more than a month after all mail-in ballots were counted—state Superior Court Judge Noah Franzblau dismissed what Insider NJ characterized as “the third challenge to the election results.”
But Judge Franzblau went further, according to Insider NJ: he ordered Barberio’s campaign to pay Desai’s legal fees, which at the time remained undetermined.
Desai served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including deployment during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where he led Marines through dangerous terrain.
Desai’s victory was part of a broader Democratic wave in Parsippany. According to New Jersey Globe, Democrats also picked up two council seats, with Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel easily defeating Republican incumbent Frank Neglia and his running mate, Jigar Shah.
Who is Pulkit Desai?
According to New Jersey Globe, Desai is “a political newcomer and U.S. Marine combat veteran.” He served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including deployment during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where he led Marines through dangerous terrain.
“I also proudly served six years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including deployment during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where I led Marines through dangerous terrain and learned what true leadership under pressure means: when challenges arise, you adapt, improvise, and overcome,” Desai told Parsippany Patch in an October 2025 candidate profile.
Professionally, according to Parsippany Patch, Desai has spent nearly 30 years in the technology sector for a New Jersey–based Fortune 500 company as a cybersecurity professional, managing global teams and complex projects.
The Swearing-in Ceremony
According to Parsippany Focus, the January 3, 2026 installation ceremony was held at the Parsippany Municipal Building and represented multiple historic firsts. The publication characterized it as marking “a series of milestones” and signaling “the anticipated return of a Democratic majority on the Township Council for the first time since 1984.”
Parsippany Focus reported: “Among the most significant moments of the afternoon was the swearing-in of two officials who represent the first elected leaders of Indian descent in Parsippany’s history—an important milestone in a municipality” where, according to New Jersey Globe, the township was 32% Asian after the 2020 Census.
Diya Patel
According to Parsippany Focus, Diya Patel, 24, took the oath of office administered by Superior Court Judge Lori Grifa as her parents looked on. The publication identified Patel as “a 24-year-old law school student and Parsippany Hills High School graduate.”
Parsippany Focus reported that Patel “thanked her parents for immigrating to the United States from India two decades ago to provide better opportunities for their large extended family.”
Most poignantly, according to Parsippany Focus, Patel “reflected on the significance of her election ‘in a moment like this, when immigrants are so often dehumanized, dismissed, or reduced to talking points.'”
“I think it’s important that we pause, take a look around, and tell the truth,” Patel said, according to Parsippany Focus.
Parsippany Focus emphasized that the swearing-in of both Mayor Desai and Councilwoman Patel represented “the first elected leaders of Indian descent in Parsippany’s history—an important milestone” for the municipality.
The demographic shift in Parsippany reflects broader trends in New Jersey suburbs, where Asian American populations have grown substantially over the past two decades. Desai’s election demonstrates the political maturation of these communities and their increasing participation in local governance.
This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.