Nellie Pou

Political Party: Democratic

District: New Jersey's 9th Congressional District

Nelida Avila Pou was born on May 20, 1956, in Paterson, New Jersey. She made history as the first Latina from New Jersey elected to Congress, being sworn into the United States House of Representatives on January 3, 2025. She represents New Jersey's 9th Congressional District, following the passing of longtime Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell. In the 2024 election, she defeated Republican Billy Premph with 51% of the vote.

Pou is married to Richard Fried, a retired State Superior Court Judge, and has two children and four grandchildren.

Education

Nellie Pou attended Kean College and Rutgers University, earning a degree in business administration from the University of Virginia. Prior to entering electoral politics, she served on the Passaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council.

Political Experience

Pou began her legislative career in 1997 when she was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly, becoming the first woman and first Latina to represent the 35th Legislative District. She served in the Assembly until 2011.

In 2012, she was elected to the New Jersey State Senate, where she held several leadership positions, including Senate Majority Caucus Chair, and chaired the Senate Commerce Committee while serving as Vice-Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She also served as Chairwoman of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus.

During her 18 years in the state legislature, Pou championed significant legislation including laws on human trafficking, juvenile justice reform, child marriage prohibition, undocumented immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and environmental protection. She co-sponsored the Global Warming Response Act and has consistently voted to protect New Jersey's land, air, and water.