Nellie Pou
Nellie Pou, a Democrat who has represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district since 2025 after serving in the New Jersey Senate, seeks re-election in 2026 against Republican Rosie Pino, a Clifton city councilor.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
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- Born
- May 20, 1956
- Birthplace
- Paterson, New Jersey
- Education
- Kean College
Rutgers University
University of Virginia
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Nellie Pou was born on May 20, 1956, in Paterson, New Jersey. She attended Kean College, Rutgers University and the University of Virginia. Much of her working life was spent with the City of Paterson, where she was a CETA training and education coordinator from 1975 to 1983 and director of human services from 1986 to 1997, and she coordinated the Passaic County Youth Program from 1983 to 1985.
Career
Nellie Pou was appointed to the New Jersey General Assembly for the 35th legislative district on January 29, 1997, succeeding Bill Pascrell and becoming the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the district.
She served as deputy speaker from 2002 to 2005 and chaired the Appropriations Committee from 2006 to 2011. In 2011 she won the district's State Senate seat, defeating former Haledon mayor Ken Pengitore, and she served in the Senate from 2012 to 2025 as Majority Caucus Chair.
She also chaired the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus from 2006, was president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators from 2022 to 2023, and was business administrator for the City of Paterson from 2014 to 2018.
After Representative Bill Pascrell died on August 21, 2024, Passaic County Democratic committee members nominated Pou on August 29 to replace him on the ballot. She defeated Republican Billy Prempeh with 50.8% of the vote and took office in 2025. In the 119th Congress she serves on the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
2026 race
Nellie Pou is seeking re-election for the first time in New Jersey's 9th congressional district, which consists of the central urban areas of the Gateway Region, including Clifton, Passaic and Paterson. She won the Democratic nomination unopposed in the June 2, 2026, primary.
Her Republican opponent is Rosie Pino, a Clifton city councilor who won the Republican primary with 51.3% of the vote against attorney Tiffany Burress. The general election takes place on November 3, 2026.