# Parker Space

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**Parker Space** (born December 4, 1968) is an American [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) politician, and owner of [Space Farms Zoo and Museum](/source/Space_Farms_Zoo_and_Museum). Since January 2024, Space represents the [24th Legislative District](/source/New_Jersey's_24th_legislative_district) in the [New Jersey Senate](/source/New_Jersey_Senate).[2][3] Before his election to the Senate, he represented the 24th District in [New Jersey General Assembly](/source/New_Jersey_General_Assembly) starting in March 2013.[4]

## Personal life

Space graduated in 1987 from [High Point Regional High School](/source/High_Point_Regional_High_School).[5]

He is a farmer and restaurant owner who also owns [Space Farms Zoo and Museum](/source/Space_Farms_Zoo_and_Museum) in the [Beemerville](/source/Beemerville,_New_Jersey) section of [Wantage Township](/source/Wantage_Township,_New_Jersey) in [Sussex County](/source/Sussex_County,_New_Jersey).[4] He has served with the Wantage Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter since 1989 and the department's chief 2001–2002.[4][6]

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.[4]

## Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Space was appointed to the [Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders](/source/Sussex_County_Board_of_County_Commissioners) in 2010 following the appointment of [Hal Wirths](/source/Hal_Wirths) to head the [New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development](/source/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](/source/Gary_R._Chiusano) in 2013.[4][9][10] Chiusano was appointed to the vacant position of Sussex County [Surrogate](/source/Surrogate_Court), 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](/source/New_Jersey_Senate) after [Steve Oroho](/source/Steve_Oroho) announced his retirement.[11] Space defeated Democrat Edmund Khanoo in the [2023 New Jersey Senate election](/source/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](/source/221st_New_Jersey_Legislature) 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](/source/New_Jersey_Senate) and two members in the [New Jersey General Assembly](/source/New_Jersey_General_Assembly).[15] The representatives from the 24th District for the [2024—2025 Legislative Session](/source/221st_New_Jersey_Legislature) are:[16]

- Senator Parker Space (R)
- Assemblyman [Dawn Fantasia](/source/Dawn_Fantasia) (R)
- Assemblyman [Mike Inganamort](/source/Mike_Inganamort) (R)

## Controversies

Space was criticized for playing [Solitaire](/source/Solitaire_(card_game)) 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](/source/Modern_display_of_the_Confederate_flag), which was superimposed with a picture of [Hank Williams Jr.](/source/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]

## References

1. ["Board of Freeholders"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041204054049/http://www.sussex.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/TownCouncil/?TID=7&TPID=591). *Wayback Machine*. Archived from [the original](http://www.sussex.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/TownCouncil/?TID=7&TPID=591) on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 27 April 2019.

1. Fox, Joey (2023-11-08). ["Steinhardt, Space retain northwest N.J. legislative seats for Republicans"](https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/steinhardt-space-retain-northwest-n-j-legislative-seats-for-republicans/). *New Jersey Globe*. Retrieved 2024-01-10.

1. ["Parker Space Takes Oath as State Senator"](https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/parker-space-takes-oath-as-state-senator/). *Insider NJ*. 2024-01-09. Retrieved 2024-01-10.

1. [Senator Parker Space (R)](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/473/senator-space), [New Jersey Legislature](/source/New_Jersey_Legislature). Accessed January 11, 2024.

1. Jennings, Rob. ["15 things about the lawmaker who posed with the Confederate flag"](https://www.nj.com/sussex-county/2017/09/what_we_know_about_the_nj_lawmaker_who_posed_with.html), NJ Advance Media for [NJ.com](/source/NJ.com), September 24, 2017, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed December 19, 2021. "Space is a 1987 graduate of High Point Regional High School."

1. ["Assemblyman Parker Space"](http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?works=assemblyman-parker-space). New Jersey Assembly Republicans. Retrieved September 14, 2015.

1. ["Space says he'll resign as freeholder later this month"](https://www.njherald.com/story/news/2013/03/05/space-says-he-ll-resign/4004838007/), *[New Jersey Herald](/source/New_Jersey_Herald)*, March 4, 2013. Accessed May 6, 2022. "The process is drawing some comparisons to what happened in 2010 after State Labor Commissioner Hal Wirths resigned from the freeholder board, just 19 days before the primary. Hambel scheduled a convention to pick Wirths' replacement on June 19, eleven days after the primary. At the convention, Republicans unanimously decided to immediately seat Space, who was the top vote-getter in the primary."

1. ["Parker Space And Richard Vohden To Lead Sussex County Board Of Chosen Freeholders In 2013"](http://www.sussex.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/news/index.cfm?NID=28473&TID=7&jump2=0&nl=1&Print=1). Sussex County. January 4, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2015.

1. George, Andrew. ["N.J. Assembly seat open as Gary Chiusano is confirmed for Sussex County surrogate post"](http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2013/02/nj_state_senate_approves_assem.html) in *[The Express-Times](/source/The_Express-Times)* (7 February 2013). Retrieved 9 July 2013.

1. George, Andrew. ["Parker Space selected to fill 24th District vacancy in N.J. Assembly"](http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2013/02/parker_space_selected_to_fill.html), *[The Express-Times](/source/The_Express-Times)* (25 February 2013). Retrieved 9 July 2013.

1. [NJ Elections Voters Guide: 24th Legislative District](https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/nj-elections-legislature-district-24-senate-assembly/), NJ Spotlight News. Accessed January 11, 2024. "Republican Sen. Steve Oroho is calling it quits after 16 years. Running for his seat is GOP Assemblyman Parker Space, the owner of Space Farms Zoo in Sussex County and a volunteer firefighter. Space had announced his retirement from the Legislature but changed his mind when Oroho decided not to seek reelection."

1. Connolly, Julio. ["NJ election results 2023: State Senate, Assembly seats decided"](https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2023/11/07/nj-election-results-2023-state-senate-assembly-seats/71481204007/), *[The Record](/source/The_Record_(North_Jersey))*, November 9, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.

1. [*Official List Candidates for General Assembly for General Election November 7, 2023*](https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2023/2023-official-general-results-general-assembly.pdf), [New Jersey Department of State](/source/New_Jersey_Department_of_State), December 6, 2023. Accessed December 23, 2023.

1. [Wildstein, David](/source/David_Wildstein). ["37 new lawmakers take office at noon"](https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/37-new-lawmakers-take-office-at-noon/), *New Jersey Globe*, January 9, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2024. "The 221st New Jersey Legislature begins today, with 37 new lawmakers – nearly one-third of the legislature – being sworn in at noon. That number includes ten new Senators and 27 new members of the General Assembly."

1. Article IV, New Jersey State Constitution (1947).

1. [Legislative Roster for District 24](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster?district=24), [New Jersey Legislature](/source/New_Jersey_Legislature). Accessed January 11, 2024.

1. ["Assemblyman Parker Space Plays Games While We Work For Poverty Wages"](http://15nownj.org)

1. ["EDITORIAL: Parker Space, and the race to the bottom"](https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/09/22/parker-space-confederate-flag-matteson-bitch/105888044/). *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*. Retrieved 2017-11-10.

1. ["'Nothing Better Than an Unregistered Gun' Says GOP Assemblyman"](http://observer.com/2015/10/nothing-better-than-an-unregistered-gun-says-gop-assemblyman/). *Observer*. 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2017-11-10.

1. ["N.J. lawmaker's photo with Confederate flag sparks criticism"](http://www.nj.com/sussex-county/index.ssf/2017/08/nj_lawmaker_poses_with_confederate_flag.html). *NJ.com*. Retrieved 2017-11-10.

1. ["Lawmaker in Confederate flag flap recorded using vulgar term about opponent"](http://www.nj.com/sussex-county/index.ssf/2017/09/lawmaker_who_posed_with_confederate_flag_taped_usi.html). *NJ.com*. Retrieved 2017-11-10.

## External links

- [Senator Parker Space](https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-roster/473/senator-space) (New Jersey Legislature official website)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Parker Space](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Space) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Space?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.