Parker Space

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. Before his election to the Senate, he represented the 24th District in New Jersey General Assembly starting in March 2013.

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.

He served on the Wantage Township Committee from 2004 to 2009, was elected as the township's mayor in 2005, 2008 and 2009, and served as deputy mayor in 2006 and 2007. Space won a full three-year term in the 2010 general election and was chosen as Freeholder Director in 2013.

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. 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. Space defeated Democrat Edmund Khanoo in the 2023 New Jersey Senate election. 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.

Committee assignments Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are: 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. The representatives from the 24th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are: Senator Parker Space (R) Assemblyman Dawn Fantasia (R) Assemblyman Mike Inganamort (R)

Controversies Space was criticized for playing Solitaire on the job during a debate on minimum wages. In a candidate forum in October 2015, Space was quoted as saying: "There is nothing better than an unregistered gun, believe me." 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."

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."

Electoral history Senate

New Jersey Assembly