Mahendra Patel was elected Parsippany Democratic municipal chairman on Saturday to replace Matt Clarkin, who has stepped down after ten years in the post.
Clarkin’s departure comes eight months after Democrats ousted a veteran Republican mayor and took control of the township council. He said he was ready to pass the torch to someone new after achieving his goal of a Democratic-led municipal government.
“Ten years ago, at the age of 24, I took on the role of Parsippany Democratic Committee chair with three goals in mind. I wanted our party to flip the mayor’s office. I wanted our party to flip the Township Council. And I wanted an open and participative place in our party for our township’s minority communities, particularly our large Indian community,” Clarkin said. “Our team has taken Parsippany from a Republican town to one that now leans Democratic.”
Mayor Pulkit Desai praised Clarkin’s leadership and accomplishments.
“Over the past decade, Matt helped build a more inclusive and participatory organization that welcomed new voices into the process and encouraged greater engagement from communities that had not always seen themselves represented,” he said.
Desai credited Clarkin for “helping create pathways for a new generation of leaders, including people from diverse backgrounds, to step forward and serve.”
“The election of Parsippany’s first Indian-American Mayor and the increasing representation of our township’s diverse communities did not happen by accident,” stated Desai. “It was the result of years of relationship-building, outreach, and a belief that leadership should reflect the community it serves.”
Clarkin said that Parsippany is the key to turning Morris County blue in the future.
“There is no flipping Morris County blue without big victories in Parsippany, and there are no Republican victories in New Jersey without Morris County,” he said.
