State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), selected last month as the replacement Democratic nominee for the 9th congressional district following the death of Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), has received an endorsement from the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), New Jersey’s largest teachers’ union.
“We know that [Pou] will honor the legacy of Bill Pascrell by building on the work he did to strengthen our public schools and support working families,” the NJEA’s leadership team said in a statement. “Sen. Pou has proven herself a true friend to educators during her time in the New Jersey Legislature, and we are confident she will continue to uphold our values in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Pou is the favorite this November to win the Democratic-leaning 9th district, which includes most of Passaic County and parts of Bergen and Hudson Counties, against Republican Billy Prempeh.
The endorsement means that the NJEA is now backing a candidate in nearly every federal race in New Jersey, supporting Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) for Senate and Democrats for the U.S. House in 11 out of 12 races. The lone exception is the 4th district, where Democrat Matt Jenkins faces a steep uphill battle against Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester).