Pulkit Desai, a U.S. Marine veteran and technology professional has become the first Indian American mayor of Parsippany township in New Jersey after a razor-thin election victory.
Desai was sworn in at the Parsippany Municipal Building on Jan. 3. He defeated Republican incumbent James Barberio by a razor thin margin of 80 votes in the November 2025 election after provisional ballots and vote-by-mail ballots overturned Barberio’s initial lead.
The final certified results gave Desai 9,978 votes, compared to Barberio’s 9,898. The result made the race one of the closest municipal contests in recent New Jersey history.
Desai’s victory also reshaped Parsippany’s local government. Alongside his win, two other Democrats, Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel, defeated Republican candidates to hand the party control of the township for the first time since 1984.
This shift signals a changing political mood in Morris County’s largest township, which has seen steady demographic growth and increasing diversity over the past decade.
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Desai says his administration would focus on controlling growth while strengthening local to develop Parsippany in a smart way.
Parsippany has a large Indian American population, and Desai acknowledged the significance of that representation while stressing equal treatment. “I have to treat everybody equally,” he said even as he also sees himself as a representative voice for Indian Americans in the township.
His entry into local politics, Desai said, began with a dispute over voting rights while serving as president of a local lake association. Residents were once required to pay an additional fee to vote, he recalled. “Nobody should have to pay extra money just to vote,” he said, calling the charge a poll tax. That fight, he said, pushed him toward broader civic involvement and eventually the mayor’s office.
Parsippany is Morris County’s largest township and has undergone significant demographic change in recent years. Local media have described the new administration as historic, noting that Asian Americans now form the largest ethnic group in the community and that the current council includes the first elected leaders of Indian descent.
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Desai’s background blends public service, private-sector leadership, and community involvement. Born to an Indian heritage and raised with strong civic values, Desai spent six years serving in the United States Marine Corps, including deployments during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
After leaving the Marines, Desai built a nearly three-decade career in the technology sector. He worked as a cybersecurity professional for a New Jersey–based Fortune 500 company. His work involved managing global teams and handling complex systems, an experience he says will help him govern effectively.