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Nellie Pou
Nelida "Nellie" Avila Pou[1] (/poʊ/ POH;[2] born May 20, 1956) is an American civil servant and politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative from New Jersey’s 9th congressional district. Pou, a Democrat, previously served in the New Jersey Senate from 2012 to 2025 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1997 to 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed Bill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district.[3] Pou serves in the senate as the Majority Caucus Chair.[4] Pou has chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus since 2006.[4] From 2022 to 2023, Pou was also president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.[5] On August 29, 2024, Pou was selected to replace Rep. Bill Pascrell on the ballot as the Democratic candidate in New Jersey's 9th congressional district following his death eight days earlier.[6] Early life and educationPou was born on May 20, 1956.[7][4] She attended Kean College, Rutgers University, and the University of Virginia.[8] Pou is Roman Catholic.[9] CareerPou has spent most of her career working for the City of Paterson, where she has served as business administrator (2014–18), assistant business administrator (2003–2014, 1997–1998), director of human services (1986–1997), and CETA training and education coordinator (1975–1983).[4] As of 2019 she was a project coordinator for the Paterson Parking Authority.[10] She also served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (1997–2016) and on the Passaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council (1993–1997).[4] She was the coordinator of the Passaic County Youth Program from 1983 to 1985.[4] New Jersey General AssemblyPou was appointed to a vacant seat previously held since 1988 by Bill Pascrell in the New Jersey General Assembly on January 29, 1997. Pascrell resigned from his position after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and sworn in on January 3, 1997.[11] She was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000 to 2001.[4] In the Assembly, Pou served on the Appropriations Committee (as Chair from 2006 to 2011), the Budget Committee, the Education Committee and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.[4] Previously, Pou served on the Senior Issues Committee (as Chair), the Appropriations Committee (as Vice Chair) and the Education Committee. New Jersey SenateInstead of running for re-election to her Assembly seat in 2011, Pou ran for the State Senate seat from the district that long-time incumbent John Girgenti was vacating. She easily defeated former Haledon Mayor Ken Pengitore in the 2011 New Jersey Senate election, as expected, and was sworn in as Senator in January 2012.[12] She was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2023.[13] CommitteesCommittee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[4]
District 35Each 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.[14] The representatives from the 35th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:[15]
U.S. House of RepresentativesOn August 29, 2024, Passaic County Democratic committee members nominated Pou to run to represent New Jersey's 9th congressional district, facing Republican Billy Prempeh in the 2024 election. Democratic leaders rapidly agreed to choose her to replace Representative Bill Pascrell, who died on August 21; the deadline for replacing Pascrell on the ballot was midnight that evening.[16] Election history
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