Meet The New 1995 Society Winner: Justin Musella
Meet The New 1995 Society Member: Justin Musella!
Justin Musella is a new Councilman in Parsippany-township Troy Hills. The focus of his campaign was to keep Parsippany the safe, prosperous, and community-oriented township his constituents know and love. Musella has been active in politics since an early age, having worked as a volunteer on Governor Christie’s campaign in 2009, then eventually becoming Chair of the Morris County Young Republicans in 2020.
Even before taking the oath of office, Musella was ranked 11th on Insider NJ’s 2021 list of “most influential millennials” in New Jersey politics. Musella was honored by the NJ Globe for being selected as having one of the best-run campaigns of 2021. Recently, he was ranked by Insider NJ as the 13th most influential millennial in politics of 2022 and 10th in 2023 on the same list.
Unafraid to take a controversial position, Musella separated himself from his GOP colleagues in Parsippany. He kept his campaign promise by voting against every tax increase since being elected and a union mandate for taxpayer-funded projects in 2022. Musella strongly believes in helping a new generation of Republican leaders find their voice in New Jersey and is eager to be a leader in this effort.
Read below to learn more about Justin!
What moment or opportunity in your life played the most significant part in getting you to where you are today? 
Being raised by two loving parents who went above and beyond to ensure I had every opportunity to be successful is undoubtedly what shaped me as a person. Without their primary focus on pushing me to have a great education and to lend a hand in good times and bad has been significant.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your career so far?
The biggest challenge I dealt with was running as the youngest and inexperienced candidate in a very competitive municipal election back in 2020. I emerged as the top voter in a crowded field where my whole slate of running mates but I alone emerged victorious.
What piece of work or accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my work in advocating for solutions to lower our town’s taxes, leading the charge on getting over 900 people to protest tax breaks to developers at a Council meeting, and obtaining over 1000 signatures to repeal a heavy-handed union mandate on taxpayer funded projects.
In your words, what motivates your belief in freedom?
I live in one of the bluest states in the nation and every single day economic, personal, and religious freedoms are under attack. New Jersey needs more liberty-minded figures pushing back and fighting to protect our quality of life.
What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing America today?
The greatest challenge to America is the proper role of government in our ordinary lives. I believe that the excessive interference in our own personal lives, the economy, and long term sustainability of our national debt threaten our ability to live free.
What is the next big goal or project you’re working on? How can the AF community help?
I am working on something big and will definitely let the AF community know very soon in the near future!
What advice do you have for those who want to advance liberty and make a difference in our society?
The best advice I can provide is that you should start where you are to protect and defend liberty. Forget changing the country but focus on changing your town or your whatever environment you find yourself at because if enough of us do this, in the aggregate we can change the future of our country.
What are some hobbies/side gigs/secret skills no one knows about? 
I’ve recently developed an interest in trying to see every National Park when I visited both Shenandoah and New River Gorge National Park. In my free time I enjoy reading about anything politically related, meeting new people, and cooking. Most people don’t know I’m fluent in Spanish and German.
What are you watching/reading right now?
I’m currently watching Shogun on Hulu and reading Social Justice Fallacies by Thomas Sowell.
Last question: What does winning this award mean to you?
This award means more to me than I can put into words. Receiving this award reaffirms my commitment and belief in promoting liberty and free market principles that are aimed at helping people.