“I will always have my district in mind, every single time that I vote. I know that the Republicans have absolutely targeted the district, so I want to make sure that we are prepared to have the resources needed. I will continue to work super hard to make sure that my district is well-represented.”  Nellie Pou

BACKGROUND + EXPEREIENCE

Born + raised in Patterson, NJ, Pou’s parents settled in New Jersey after moving from Puerto Rico in 1953. Rep. Pou attended Keane College, Rutgers University + the University of Virginia.

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After spending 18 years in the New Jersey legislature, Rep. Pou was elected to her first term in congress in 2024. Early in her career, she held several leadership positions in city government in her hometown of Patterson N.J. Rep. Pou was elected to the State Assembly in 1997, becoming the first Latina to represent her district. In 2012, she was elected to the State Senate where, at the time of her election to Congress in 2024, she served as New Jersey Senate Majority Caucus Chair.

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Rep. Pou + her husband Richard Fried, a retired State Superior Court Judge, have 2 children + 4 grandchildren.

ON THE ISSUES

Rep. Pou is committed to improving the lives of the people in her
community by:

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•  Providing access to quality health care + public education.

• Creating good paying jobs.

• Fighting for criminal justice reform + a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions.

POLITICS IN NEW JERSEY

In 2024, Rep. Pou defeated underfunded Republican foe Billy Premph by 51% to 46%. It should be noted that she had but two months to campaign for this seat following the sudden passing of longtime democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell. In addition, third party candidates earned 3.4% of the vote. 

 

In the 2024 election, the district shifted dramatically to the right. Trump narrowly carried the district by 1% in 2024 while Biden carried the district in 2020 by 19% indicating that the district has made a strong shift to the right thus adding to the belief among Republicans that this seat can be flipped in 2026. The race will most likely be very competitive.

 

Republican Billy Premph will again run for this seat in 2026. This will be his third attempt at gaining the district 09 seat. Premph is a longtime conservative activist in New Jersey politics. While other candidates may emerge, New Jersey primary dates are “pending.”

 

Both of New Jersey’s US senators are Democratic as are 9 of its 12 member House delegation.

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