Rep.-elect Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) is so far staying out of the race to succeed her in the state Senate.
Pou chaired her last state Senate Commerce Committee hearing Thursday, and will soon resign from the state Senate to assume her congressional seat come Jan. 3. The Passaic and Bergen County Democratic Parties will meet in a special convention soon after her resignation to choose her successor — likely Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-North Haledon) or Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Paterson).
For now, Pou is staying out of it.
“I’m going to leave that up to the Passaic County Democratic Organization, as well as Bergen,” Pou told the New Jersey Globe on Thursday.
Sumter and Wimberly, who have long been Pou’s running mates and who both briefly ran for the same congressional seat that Pou won this year, are thought to be in contention. Paterson Mayor André Sayegh has said he doesn’t want the state Senate seat and that he’s heard from a “few Assembly people” who are interested — though he also hasn’t announced his support for anyone.
The winner of this winter’s special convention would replace Pou until a special election is held for the rest of the term in November. Assuming Sumter and Wimberly run, the winner of the oncoming special convention would be the likely favorite for the June special primary.
State Sens. Joseph Cryan (D-Union Twp) and Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) both congratulated Pou at the end of her final Commerce Committee hearing, thanking her for her mentorship and leadership.
“I look forward to going to Congress, and I’m just so grateful that the people of the 9th congressional district have voted for me, so it is my great honor,” Pou said. “But there’s no greater honor for me to have served in the Legislature for all these years.”