With Pou leaving, Legislative Latino Caucus must choose first new leader in 20 years

With Rep.-elect Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) leaving the state Senate for the halls of Congress, she leaves big shoes to fill. 

Besides her coveted committee seats, Pou is chair of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus, which she’s helmed for most of its 29-year existence. State Sen. Nilsa Cruz-Perez said the caucus is excited for Pou’s ascendancy to Washington but will miss her presence in Trenton.

“For the caucus, it’s a bittersweet situation,” Cruz-Perez told the New Jersey Globe. “We’re joyful that this event is happening because we needed someone in Congress representing the Latino community.”

Cruz-Perez, who entered the Legislature in 1995, is Trenton’s senior Latino legislator.

Pou has served as the caucus’s chair since 2006 — the caucus was created in 1995. Pou said goodbye to the Commerce Committee, which she chairs, last week. Pou will resign sometime before Jan. 3, when she will be sworn into Congress.

Cruz-Perez said the group doesn’t yet know who is interested in succeeding Pou as chair but the group will continue working to represent Latinos throughout the state.

“This is a lot of work, so whoever decides to step up in Nellie’s shoes has to understand that there is a lot of commitment,” Cruz-Perez said. “There’s a lot of work in trying to work together as a caucus to make sure the needs of the people are addressed.”