At the Passaic County Technical Institute on Thursday evening, whistles of football coaches screeched across fields, rumbles of a practicing marching band bounced off the hills, and cheers for the crowning of who will possibly be New Jersey’s first Latina congresswoman erupted in the auditorium.
Democratic county committee members gathered at Wayne school to formally nominate state Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) for Congress. The special convention, which was the ceremonial conclusion to a rapid congressional primary, officially established Pou as the Democratic successor to the late Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-Paterson).
Pou will now face Billy Prempeh for the honor of representing New Jersey’s 9th congressional district, a contest she enters as the favorite.
Pou’s official selection Thursday evening was but a formality. Her three primary opponents each dropped out of the race by the time Thursday night’s special convention came along, and the state senator had earned endorsements from Pascrell’s family, Gov. Phil Murphy, and the chairmen of each Democratic county party in NJ-9. Her nomination was approved by acclimation by 464 committee members.
“I’m excited about today but even more excited about tomorrow and all the tomorrows that will follow as we unite to show the residents of our district what is possible when we fight together,” Pou said in her acceptance speech. “And fight together we must.”
Passaic City Councilwoman Thania Melo nominated Pou at the convention, and Little Ferry Mayor Mauro Raguso seconded the nomination.
Pascrell, who died last Wednesday at the age of 87, had served in Congress for 27 years and was running for another term. Pascrell’s Paterson funeral was held Wednesday morning.
Thursday’s special convention came on the last possible night—midnight served as the deadline for selecting a replacement for Pascrell on the ballot. The approaching deadline forced candidates to quickly launch campaign and leaders to coalesce around a successor quickly.
Coalesce they did.
On Monday, the three county Democratic chairs in NJ-9 endorsed Pou in a joint statement: Bergen’s Paul Juliano, Passaic’s John Currie, and Hudson’s Craig Guy. That endorsement essentially sealed the deal. The other candidates—Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson), and Paterson Mayor André Sayegh—dropped out in the following days.
Pou is following a Pascrell-like path: When Pascrell left the New Jersey Assembly in 1997 to join Congress, Pou took over his seat in the State House. She will now almost certainly succeed Pascrell in Congress, as NJ-9 is a safe seat for Democrats.
“As I reflect on Congressman Pascrell’s legacy, I am reminded of his unwavering commitment to the people of our district,” Pou said. “Bill was not just a legislator; he was a champion for the voiceless, a true fighter who never backed down, a tireless advocate for justice, and a mentor and friend to many, and to me.”
A few hundred Democrats gathered in an auditorium for the convention, with more gathered on Zoom.
The county chairs—Currie, Juliano, and Guy—each spoke to praise and congratulate Pou.
“We’re making history here with the first Latina heading to the United States Congress a year from New Jersey,” Juliano said.
Pou, who was appointed to the Assembly after Pascrell went to Washington, served in the lower chamber from 1997 until her accession to the state Senate in 2012. Pou has represented the 35th legislative district throughout her entire tenure in the State House.
Pou and party leaders celebrated the fact she will likely be New Jersey’s first Latina congresswoman, saying she’s ready to represent all residents of the district, no matter who we are.
“Whether you say ‘let’s fight’ or ‘vamos a luchar,’ either way we move on to history and victory,” Pou concluded.