# Nellie Pou

Nelida "Nellie" Avila Pou (/poʊ/ POH; 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. A Democrat, she 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.
Pou served in the Senate as the Majority Caucus Chair. Pou also chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus since 2006. From 2022 to 2023, Pou was also president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
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.

## Early life and education

Pou was born on May 20, 1956. She attended Kean College, Rutgers University, and the University of Virginia.

## Career

Pou had spent much of her career working for the City of Paterson, where she had served as business administrator (2014–2018), assistant business administrator (2003–2014, 1997–1998), director of human services (1986–1997), and CETA training and education coordinator (1975–1983).
In 2019, she was a project coordinator for the Paterson Parking Authority.
She had 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). She was the coordinator of the Passaic County Youth Program from 1983 to 1985.

### New Jersey General Assembly

Pou 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. She was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000 to 2001.
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. Previously, Pou served on the Senior Issues Committee (as chair), the Appropriations Committee (as vice chair), and the Education Committee.

### New Jersey Senate

Instead 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. She was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2023.

### Committees

Committee assignments for the 2024–2025 legislative session were:
* Commerce (as chair)
* Judiciary (as vice-chair)

## U.S. House of Representatives
### Elections
#### 2024

On August 21, 2024, incumbent Congressman Bill Pascrell died. On August 29, 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 Pascrell; the deadline for replacing Pascrell on the ballot was midnight that evening.
In the 2024 election, the district shifted dramatically to the right, narrowly voting for Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump after having previously voted for Democrat Joe Biden over Trump by 20 points in 2020. Pou won by 5 points over Republican Billy Prempeh, a much narrower margin than previous congressional races.

### Caucus memberships

* New Democrat Coalition
* Congressional Progressive Caucus

## Personal life

Pou is Roman Catholic.

## Election history

2024 New Jersey's 9th congressional district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nellie Pou | 130,514 | 50.8 |
| | Republican | Billy Prempeh | 117,939 | 45.9 |
| | Green | Benjamin Taylor | 5,027 | 1.9 |
| | Libertarian | Bruno Pereira | 3,533 | 1.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 257,013 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
New Jersey's 9th congressional district's Democratic special appointment convention :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nellie Pou | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | ≤806 | 100% |
35th Legislative District General Election, 2023 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nelida Pou (incumbent) | 11,950 | 69.0 |
| | Republican | Christopher Faustino | 5,365 | 31.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,315 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
35th Legislative District general election, 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nelida Pou (incumbent) | 20,464 | 68.59 |
| | Republican | Kenneth Pengitore | 9,372 | 31.41 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 29,836 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Nellie Pou (incumbent) | 21,425 | 79.0 |
| Republican | Marwan Sholakh | 5,698 | 21.0 |
| Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Nellie Pou (incumbent) | 22,154 | 74.1 |
| Republican | Lynda Gallashaw | 7,737 | 25.9 |
| Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Nellie Pou | 14,386 | 74.7 |
| Republican | Ken Pengitore | 4,867 | 25.3 |
| Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |