Barry sought a return to the State Legislature in 2003 in two separate instances. In February when the local Republican county committees of the 21st Legislative District voted on a replacement for Assemblyman Thomas Kean Jr. who had been appointed to the State Senate, Barry came in second place behind Jon Bramnick in the vote for the remainder of Kean's term in the Assembly. In the regular June primary election, he came in behind incumbents Eric Munoz and Bramnick and two other candidates finishing in last place with 8 percent of the vote.