Nellie Pou
Official portrait, 2024
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Jersey's9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Bill Pascrell
Member of theNew Jersey Senate from the35th district
In office January 10, 2012 – January 1, 2025
Preceded by	John Girgenti
Succeeded by	Benjie Wimberly
Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the35th district
In office January 29, 1997 – January 10, 2012
Preceded by	Bill Pascrell
Succeeded by	Shavonda Sumter Benjie Wimberly
Personal details
Born	(1956-05-20)May 20, 1956 (age 69) Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Richard Freid
Children	2
Education	Kean University Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of Virginia
Website	House website Campaign website

Nelida Avila Pou^[1] (/poʊ/POH;^[2] born May 20, 1956) is an American politician and business administrator serving as theU.S. representative forNew Jersey's 9th congressional district since 2025. A member of theDemocratic Party, she previously served in theNew Jersey Senate from 2012 to 2025 and theNew Jersey General Assembly from 1997 to 2012, representing the35th legislative district. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeedBill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the firstHispanic to represent the 35th district.^[3]

Pou served in the Senate as the Majority Caucus Chair.^[4] Pou also chaired the bicameral New Jersey LegislativeLatino Caucus since 2006.^[4] From 2022 to 2023, Pou was also president of theNational Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.^[5]

On August 29, 2024, Pou was selected to replace Rep.Bill Pascrell on the ballot as the Democratic candidate inNew Jersey's 9th congressional district following his death eight days earlier.^[6]

Pou was born on May 20, 1956.^[7][4] She attendedKean College,Rutgers University, and theUniversity of Virginia.^[8]

Pou had spent much of her career working for the City ofPaterson, where she had served as business administrator (2014–2018), assistant business administrator (2003–2014, 1997–1998), director of human services (1986–1997), and CETA training and education coordinator (1975–1983).^[4]

In 2019, she was a project coordinator for the Paterson Parking Authority.^[9]

She had also served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (1997–2016) and on thePassaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council (1993–1997).^[4] She was the coordinator of the Passaic County Youth Program from 1983 to 1985.^[4]

Pou was appointed to a vacant seat previously held since 1988 by Bill Pascrell in the New Jersey General Assembly on January 29, 1997. Pascrell resigned from his position after being elected to theU.S. House of Representatives, and sworn in on January 3, 1997.^[10] She was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000 to 2001.^[4]

In the Assembly, Pou served on the Appropriations Committee (as Chair from 2006 to 2011), the Budget Committee, the Education Committee, and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee.^[4] Previously, Pou served on the Senior Issues Committee (as chair), the Appropriations Committee (as vice chair), and the Education Committee.

Instead of running for re-election to her Assembly seat in 2011, Pou ran for the State Senate seat from the district that long-time incumbentJohn Girgenti was vacating. She easily defeated formerHaledon Mayor Ken Pengitore in the2011 New Jersey Senate election, as expected, and was sworn in as Senator in January 2012.^[11] She was re-elected to theNew Jersey Senate in 2013, 2017, 2021, and2023.^[12]

Committee assignments for the2024–2025 legislative session were:^[4]

• Commerce (as chair)
• Judiciary (as vice-chair)

On August 21, 2024, incumbent CongressmanBill Pascrell died.^[13] On August 29, Passaic County Democratic committee members nominated Pou to run to representNew Jersey's 9th congressional district, facing RepublicanBilly Prempeh in the2024 election. Democratic leaders rapidly agreed to choose her to replace Pascrell; the deadline for replacing Pascrell on the ballot was midnight that evening.^[14]

In the2024 election, the district shifted dramatically to the right, narrowly voting for Republican presidential candidateDonald Trump after having previously voted for DemocratJoe Biden over Trump by 20 points in2020. Pou won by almost 5 points over Republican Billy Prempeh, a much narrower margin than previous congressional races.^[15]

Pou is running for re-election in 2026. In August 2025,The New Jersey Monitor reported that Pou "is facing increasing attacks from progressives and Republicans as she gears up for her first reelection fight next year." Republicans have criticized Pou for her votes against Republican spending bills and for her opposition to their immigration policies while progressives have criticized her for taking a trip to Israel that was paid for by a pro-Israel lobbying group.^[16]

For the 119th Congress:^[17]

• Committee on Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Aviation (Vice Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
  • Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

• Congressional Hispanic Caucus^[18]
• New Democrat Coalition^[19]
• Congressional Progressive Caucus^[20]

Pou is married to Judge Richard Freid, and they live inNorth Haledon.^[21] She has two children from a previous marriage^[21] and is Roman Catholic.^[22]

• List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress

• Campaign website
• Congressional website
• Pou's legislative web page,New Jersey Legislature
• Project Vote Smart biography
• Appearances onC-SPAN

• 1956 births
• 20th-century American women politicians
• 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature
• 21st-century American women politicians
• 21st-century members of the New Jersey Legislature
• 21st-century United States representatives
• American politicians of Cuban descent
• Catholics from New Jersey
• Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly
• Democratic Party New Jersey state senators
• Female United States representatives
• Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in New Jersey
• Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
• Living people
• People from North Haledon, New Jersey
• Politicians from Paterson, New Jersey
• University of Virginia alumni
• Women state legislators in New Jersey

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