Pulkit Desai has been sworn in as the mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey. A US Marine veteran and long-time technology professional, Desai is the first Indian American to hold the mayor’s office in Parsippany. His swearing-in ceremony took place on Saturday, following one of the closest mayoral races the township has ever seen.
Parsippany has a large Indian American population, and Desai acknowledged the significance of that representation. “I have to treat everybody equally,” Desai told IANS in his first interview post-vivtory, adding that he also sees himself as a representative voice for Indian Americans in the township.
Who is Pulkit Desai?
Desai, a Democrat, won the election by a razor-thin margin after provisional ballots and vote-by-mail ballots were counted. Desai is a US Marine veteran, a longtime technology professional, and now the mayor of Parsippany, New Jersey. On Saturday afternoon, January 3, 2026, Desai took the oath of office at the Parsippany Municipal Building, becoming the first Asian American and the first person of Indian descent to lead Morris County’s largest township.
He stood before his family, members of the local community, and New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill as he was sworn in by State Senator Raj Mukherji. His wife, Sangeeta, other family members, and longtime Parsippany resident Mary Purzycki, were also present during the ceremony.
Long before he entered public office, Pulkit Desai served his country in uniform. He spent six years in the United States Marine Corps, including deployments during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After leaving the Marines, Desai built a nearly 30-year career in the technology sector. He worked for a New Jersey–based Fortune 500 company as a cybersecurity professional. He mastered managing global teams and handling complex systems and projects.
Democrats take control after decades
Desai’s win is historic in many ways. It is clearly showing a changing political mood in the region. Alongside his mayoral victory, Democrats also won two township council seats.
Matt Kavanagh and Diya Patel defeated Republican councilman Frank Neglia and his running mate Jigar Shah. With these wins, Democrats gained control of township government for the first time since 1984.
Meanwhile, Desai’s victory followed one of the closest and most intense municipal elections New Jersey has seen in years. In the November 2025 election, Desai defeated Republican mayor James Barberio by just 80 votes out of nearly 20,000 cast. The final result showed Desai with 50.05 percent of the vote, compared to Barberio’s 49.65 percent.
On election night, however, the story flipped completely. Early counts showed Barberio ahead by 211 votes. But when provisional ballots and vote-by-mail ballots were counted by the Morris County Board of Elections on November 12, the result changed. Desai moved ahead, leading 9,976 votes to Barberio’s 9,898.
The official final count, confirmed on November 19, gave Desai 9,978 votes to Barberio’s 9,898, sealing his victory by the narrowest of margins. Speaking after the swearing-in, Desai thanked the people of Parsippany for participating in the election, regardless of whom they supported.
In his first interview after taking office, Desai said his top priority would be managing growth without harming the quality of life in Parsippany. “Our main priority is to make sure Parsippany is developed in a smart way,” Desai said in his first interview with IANS. “The overcrowding that has happened, we want to stop that, but we want to do smart development for commercial. We want to bring businesses in,” he added.
He said schools and public services would remain central to town policy. “If there is anything for the school, for the education board of education, we want to make sure we give them all the funding that’s necessary,” Desai said. He also pointed to “public infrastructure” and “public safety” as ongoing priorities. “The most important thing is transparency and accountability,” he said. “I want to be honest with the people of Parsippany with everything that I do.”
