Politics & Government
Fall Face-off Set for 26th District
Republican incumbents to take on new Democrats for state Senate and Assembly
It wasn't much of a contest in the 26th legislative district.
Incumbent Republican Sen. Joe Pennacchio of Montville will face Democrat Wasim Khan of Parsippany in the November election, after each took wins in uncontested party primaries Tuesday. Incubment Republican Assemblymen Alex DeCroce and Jay Webber of Parsippany will face Democrats Elliot Isibor of Rockaway Township and Joseph Raich of Parsippany, all also winning uncontested primaries.
The 26th District includes towns in Morris, Essex and Passaic counties, however Passaic vote totals were not immediately available Tuesday night.
Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Pennacchio received 6,561 votes in Morris and Essex counties. DeCroce received 6,059 votes in Morris and Essex. Webber received 6,208 in those counties.
Khan received 1,584 votes in Morris and Essex counties. Isibor received 1,548, and Raich received 1,563.
Find out what's happening in Montvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Morris County had a 12 percent voter turnout, with 26 percent of Republican registered voters heading to the polls, and 11 percent of Democrats.
DeCroce has served in the Assembly since 1989. He has been the Assembly Republican leader sine 2003 and served as deputy speaker from 1994 to 2001.
Webber has been in the Assembly since 2008. He serves as Republican chairman of the New Jersey Legislative Apportionment Commission and was the Republican State Committee chairman from 2009 to 2011. He is employed as an adjunct professor at Essex County Community College.
Isibor has been president of several community-based non-profit organizations. He has continued to exercise community-organizing efforts. He ran for Morris County freeholder in 2010.
Raich is a limousine driver who ran for Parsippany Board of Education earlier this year. He has said he would like to see more shared services among Morris County towns.
Pennacchio is a former county freeholder and was in the Assembly from 2001 to 2007, where he was appropriations officer from 2004 to 2007.
Wasim is a physician who is running again for an Assembly seat.
The 26th District, after a reconfiguration that took place this year, is:
New 26th District Municipality Population White Only Black Only Asian Only Hispanic Only Already Part of District? Butler Boro 7539 6706 84 228 860 Yes Fairfield Twp 7466 7081 51 189 384 No Jefferson Twp 21314 19318 332 981 1382 No Kinnelon Boro 10248 9536 93 437 418 Yes Lincoln Park Boro 10521 9075 193 776 1009 Yes Montville Twp 21528 16800 275 3890 900 Yes Morris Plains Boro 5532 4948 151 275 314 Yes North Caldwell Boro 6183 5669 45 354 260 No Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp 53238 33204 1874 15487 4430 Yes Rockaway Twp 24156 20878 616 1611 2705 No Verona Twp 13332 12164 262 537 795 No West Caldwell Twp 10759 9996 136 421 523 No West Milford Twp 25850 24315 362 334 1512 Yes
