New Jersey State Senator Nellie Pou Nominated to Replace Late Congressman Bill Pascrell

What began as a four-way race to replace the late United States Representative Bill Pascrell for the 9th Congressional District in Washington D.C. has now been narrowed to one candidate. New Jersey State Senator Nellie Pou will replace the late Democratic representative, first elected to Congress in 1996. When Pascrell died on August 21, 2024, he sought his 15th re-election bid to represent New Jersey in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

It was no easy feat for Senator Pou to replace the powerful Ways and Means committee member on this November’s ballot. To gain the nomination, Pou first needed to navigate a crowded field of fellow powerful New Jersey Democrats who expressed interest in running for the seat this November 5th. It included two state lawmaker colleagues from Lou and a mayor.

Speaker Pro Tempore Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, who represents New Jersey’s 35th District, and Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter of the same district put in their bids. They were followed by a bid for the late Congressman’s seat by two-time elected Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.  Each publicly declared their bids for the seat one after another in the days following Pascrell’s death.

Ultimately, Pou won the nomination through an emergency Democratic convention of more than 400 State Democratic committee members. She will be placed on the ballot this November against Republican Billy Prempeh.

New Jersey law gives the right and responsibility to county committee members of the political party, in this case, the Democrats, to fill ballot vacancies for a candidate no longer on the ballot. Democratic leaders in the three counties of the 9th Congressional District where Pascrell served—Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic—were handed the swift duty of choosing a replacement for the ballot box before the August 29th deadline, just eight days after Pascrell’s death. 

An emergency convention-style meeting was held at Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne on Thursday, August 29th, on the heels of the National Democratic Convention. They did just that, nominating Pou with a majority vote. Many of the State committee members were attending the convention in Illinois to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz for the national ticket at the time of Pascrell’s death, causing a scramble to vet, choose, and nominate a replacement for Pascrell by the midnight deadline. 

Pou received endorsements from party leaders of all three counties, including Passaic County’s John Currie, Hudson County’s Craig Guy, and Bergen County’s Paul Juliano. “While we have great respect for all the candidates who have shown interest in running, Senator Pou is uniquely qualified to serve the residents of the 9th District. Her experience and leadership will ensure that our community continues to thrive,” Guy said. 

If elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Pou would be the first Latina to represent New Jersey in Congress, which is particularly noteworthy given that the 9th Congressional District’s population is 40% Hispanic. Senator Pou began her service in state politics in 1997 as a state Assemblywoman, ironically as the successor to Bill Pascrell, before being elected as a state Senator in 2012. She currently serves as the majority caucus chair and has served as chair of the state Legislative Latino Caucus.

Representative Pascrell began his career in state politics in 1988 as a freshman New Jersey Assemblyman. From 1990 to 1997, he served simultaneously as mayor of Paterson before resigning both seats in 1997 and heading to D.C.

Pascrell, known as outspoken and relatable, served in Congress until his death in August 2024 at 87.