New Jersey Democrats demonstrate their influence once more in selecting Pascrell's successor
In a swift decision, state Sen. Nellie Pou was selected to campaign for the North Jersey House seat in the upcoming November elections.
TroibNews 
Before Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) was laid to rest, talk of his likely successor began to circulate.
Following the death of the outspoken 87-year-old lawmaker, four well-known local politicians announced their intentions to vie for his seat in the 9th Congressional District as the Democrat candidate in the upcoming November election.
However, the choice was quickly made by the Democratic county chairs from the three counties of the North Jersey district. They unanimously supported state Sen. Nellie Pou as the Democratic nominee, illustrating once again the strong influence of party leadership. The selection came swiftly due to state legal requirements and a tight timeline.
Sen. Pou has been a member of the legislature for 27 years and is known for her composed and agreeable manner, which is a stark contrast to Pascrell's more contentious style. Her selection also marks a significant step for New Jersey's Hispanic communities, particularly after the fall of Sen. Bob Menendez. Since 2006, Pou has led the state’s legislative Latino caucus and is a past president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
Following Pascrell's death on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the race to fill his seat heated up with Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and Assemblymembers Shavonda Sumter and Benjie Wimberly entering the fray. However, their campaigns were brief. Sayegh withdrew on Monday, mentioning the "current political circumstances," followed by Sumter on Tuesday, and Wimberly on Wednesday.
By Thursday evening, when district party officials met in Wayne, the event had essentially turned into a ceremony anointing Pou, with endorsements from Gov. Phil Murphy and Pascrell’s family.
"The Pascrell family is pleased that Nellie Pou will carry the Democratic banner in the Ninth District," they stated. "Senator Pou is a worthy heir to carry on Congressman Pascrell’s important work on behalf of the great people of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. We know our father would be happy to see Senator Pou succeed him and so are we."
Although New Jersey's political boss system often faces scrutiny, the rapid succession following Pascrell’s death two-and-a-half months post-primary and the Aug. 29 deadline to nominate a candidate were driven by state regulations.
In her legislative role, Pou has consistently supported her party's agenda. She spearheaded efforts to outlaw child marriage under any circumstances, making New Jersey the second state to enact such a law in 2018. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she also led legislation for the early release of certain prisoners nearing the end of their terms.
On federal matters, Pou pushed for resolutions in the state Legislature urging the preservation of DACA when the Trump administration threatened its termination, and another advocating for funds in the federal Build Back Better bill for affordable housing.
During a recent debate and in an interview, Pou outlined her stance on various national issues. She expressed support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for all. Regarding Puerto Rico, she supported statehood. When discussing U.S. military aid to Israel, she indicated a preference for maintaining the current level of support, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing the people of Gaza from the Hamas group.
"The process is pretty undemocratic. Now we have two candidates, Nellie and Kamala Harris, who were given the role without any vote by the Democratic voters at all," noted Billy Prempeh, the Republican challenger in the upcoming election.
Prempeh, who has faced Pou before, called for changes in the vacancy filling procedure and criticized the role of party leaders in the selection process.
“When you don’t have a leader, you perish,” John Currie, the Passaic County Democratic Chair, commented on leadership and decision-making in a political setting.
Despite her previous electoral successes, Pou enters the general election as the favorite against Prempeh, whose previous attempts were unsuccessful, including a tighter race in the recent election due to district remapping.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
Following the death of the outspoken 87-year-old lawmaker, four well-known local politicians announced their intentions to vie for his seat in the 9th Congressional District as the Democrat candidate in the upcoming November election.
However, the choice was quickly made by the Democratic county chairs from the three counties of the North Jersey district. They unanimously supported state Sen. Nellie Pou as the Democratic nominee, illustrating once again the strong influence of party leadership. The selection came swiftly due to state legal requirements and a tight timeline.
Sen. Pou has been a member of the legislature for 27 years and is known for her composed and agreeable manner, which is a stark contrast to Pascrell's more contentious style. Her selection also marks a significant step for New Jersey's Hispanic communities, particularly after the fall of Sen. Bob Menendez. Since 2006, Pou has led the state’s legislative Latino caucus and is a past president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.
Following Pascrell's death on Wednesday, Aug. 21, the race to fill his seat heated up with Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and Assemblymembers Shavonda Sumter and Benjie Wimberly entering the fray. However, their campaigns were brief. Sayegh withdrew on Monday, mentioning the "current political circumstances," followed by Sumter on Tuesday, and Wimberly on Wednesday.
By Thursday evening, when district party officials met in Wayne, the event had essentially turned into a ceremony anointing Pou, with endorsements from Gov. Phil Murphy and Pascrell’s family.
"The Pascrell family is pleased that Nellie Pou will carry the Democratic banner in the Ninth District," they stated. "Senator Pou is a worthy heir to carry on Congressman Pascrell’s important work on behalf of the great people of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. We know our father would be happy to see Senator Pou succeed him and so are we."
Although New Jersey's political boss system often faces scrutiny, the rapid succession following Pascrell’s death two-and-a-half months post-primary and the Aug. 29 deadline to nominate a candidate were driven by state regulations.
In her legislative role, Pou has consistently supported her party's agenda. She spearheaded efforts to outlaw child marriage under any circumstances, making New Jersey the second state to enact such a law in 2018. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she also led legislation for the early release of certain prisoners nearing the end of their terms.
On federal matters, Pou pushed for resolutions in the state Legislature urging the preservation of DACA when the Trump administration threatened its termination, and another advocating for funds in the federal Build Back Better bill for affordable housing.
During a recent debate and in an interview, Pou outlined her stance on various national issues. She expressed support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for all. Regarding Puerto Rico, she supported statehood. When discussing U.S. military aid to Israel, she indicated a preference for maintaining the current level of support, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing the people of Gaza from the Hamas group.
"The process is pretty undemocratic. Now we have two candidates, Nellie and Kamala Harris, who were given the role without any vote by the Democratic voters at all," noted Billy Prempeh, the Republican challenger in the upcoming election.
Prempeh, who has faced Pou before, called for changes in the vacancy filling procedure and criticized the role of party leaders in the selection process.
“When you don’t have a leader, you perish,” John Currie, the Passaic County Democratic Chair, commented on leadership and decision-making in a political setting.
Despite her previous electoral successes, Pou enters the general election as the favorite against Prempeh, whose previous attempts were unsuccessful, including a tighter race in the recent election due to district remapping.
Rohan Mehta for TROIB News
