Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
Parker Space (born December 4, 1968) is an American Republican Party politician, and owner of Space Farms Zoo and Museum. Since January 2024, Space represents the 24th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate.[2][3] Before his election to the Senate, he represented the 24th District in New Jersey General Assembly starting in March 2013.[4]
Personal life
Space graduated in 1987 from High Point Regional High School.[5]
He is a farmer and restaurant owner who also owns Space Farms Zoo and Museum in the Beemerville section of Wantage Township in Sussex County.[4] He has served with the Wantage Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter since 1989 and the department's chief 2001–2002.[4][6]
Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Space was appointed to the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 2010 following the appointment of Hal Wirths to head the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.[7] Space won a full three-year term in the 2010 general election and was chosen as Freeholder Director in 2013.[8]
New Jersey Assembly
Space served as freeholder until his appointment to the General Assembly filling a vacancy left by the resignation of Gary R. Chiusano in 2013.[4][9][10] Chiusano was appointed to the vacant position of Sussex County Surrogate, and Space was chosen by a convention called of party delegates from municipalities to fill the vacancy per New Jersey state law.[10] Space received 103 of the 158 delegate votes cast, defeating Bader Qarmout, John Wroblewski, and Mark Quick.[10] He was elected to his own full term in November 2013, then again in 2015 and 2017.
State Senate
Space had considered retiring from the Assembly after his term ended in 2024, but decided to run for the New Jersey Senate after Steve Oroho announced his retirement.[11] Space defeated Democrat Edmund Khanoo in the 2023 New Jersey Senate election.[12][13] Space was one of 10 new senators members elected for the first time in 2023 to serve in the Senate, a quarter of the seats.[14]
Committee assignments
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[4]
- Environment and Energy
- Military and Veterans' Affairs
District 24
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly.[15] The representatives from the 24th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[16]
Controversies
Space was criticized for playing Solitaire on the job during a debate on minimum wages.[17][18] In a candidate forum in October 2015, Space was quoted as saying: "There is nothing better than an unregistered gun, believe me."[19] In August 2017, Space was criticized for posting a photo of himself and his wife posing in front of a Confederate flag, which was superimposed with a picture of Hank Williams Jr.'s face. The inscription on the flag read: "If the South would've won, we would've had it made."[20]
On August 31, 2017, Space was recorded calling opponent Kate Matteson, saying "[...] And you can put that on the record. She is (an) elitist 1 percenter, an elitist who's a bitch. Gina (Gina Trish, Matteson's running mate), I've never met. I can't say anything bad about her. But Kate, I can. Because I know she's a bitch."[21]
