State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) has received endorsements from every Democratic municipal chair in the Passaic County portion of the 9th congressional district, marking yet another strong show of support for the senator’s now-uncontested campaign to succeed the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) in Congress.
“As municipal leaders, our priority is to ensure that the families and residents of Passaic County continue to have a strong voice in Congress,” the municipal chairs said in a joint statement. “We are confident that Senator Pou will be that voice, and we are proud to endorse her as the next representative of the 9th congressional district.”
The endorsement list includes the Democratic municipal chairs in Paterson, Passaic, Clifton, Hawthorne, Prospect Park, Haledon, North Haledon, Wayne, and Pompton Lakes. Every Democratic municipal chairperson in the Bergen County portion of the 9th district endorsed Pou earlier this week.
After Pascrell died last week at the age of 87, Pou was one of several Passaic County candidates who stepped up to run at the party convention to replace him on the ballot, a process that under state law has to happen by today. Also in the running were Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson), and Paterson Mayor André Sayegh, and other candidates considered launching campaigns as well.
But over the weekend, the three county Democratic chairmen in the 9th district came together to work out a compromise, and Pou emerged as their choice for the seat. That put the other contenders at a heavy disadvantage, and Sayegh, Sumter and Wimberly all dropped out of the race in the last few days as Pou’s campaign gained momentum.
The joint statement from Passaic County’s Democratic municipal chairs acknowledges the other candidates who ran – candidates who likely would have picked up quite a bit of support among Passaic Democratic committeemembers if it weren’t for the pro-Pou deal – but says that Pou was ultimately the best option for the seat.
“Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, and State Senator Nellie Pou are all remarkable public servants who have contributed greatly to our community,” the statement said. “However, as we look to the future, we believe that Senator Pou’s experience, dedication, and vision make her the best choice to represent our district in Washington.”