Nellie Pou

Nellie Pou
Born	Nelida Avila Pou 20 5, 1956
Birthplace	Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, business administrator
Known for	First woman and first Hispanic to represent New Jersey's 35th legislative district
Education	Kean University Rutgers University, New Brunswick University of Virginia
Spouse(s)	Richard Freid
Children	2
Website	[pou.house.gov Official site]

Nelida Avila "Nellie" Pou (Template:IPAc-en; born May 20, 1956) is an American politician and business administrator serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district since January 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Pou has been a fixture in New Jersey politics for nearly three decades, having previously served in the New Jersey Senate from 2012 to 2025 and the New Jersey General Assembly from 1997 to 2012, both times representing the 35th legislative district. When she was first sworn into the General Assembly on January 29, 1997, succeeding Bill Pascrell, Pou became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district. In a historical parallel, Pou was selected in August 2024 to succeed the same Bill Pascrell on the congressional ballot following his death, and she went on to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives. During her tenure in the state legislature, Pou served as the Senate Majority Caucus Chair and chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus beginning in 2006. She also served as president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators from 2022 to 2023.

Early Life

Nelida Avila Pou was born on May 20, 1956, in Paterson, New Jersey. Paterson, a city in Passaic County with a long history as an industrial center and a significant Latino population, would become the geographic anchor of Pou's political career. She grew up in the community that she would later represent for decades in the New Jersey Legislature and ultimately in the United States Congress.

Details about Pou's parents and family background prior to her entry into public life are not extensively documented in available sources. What is known is that she remained deeply rooted in the Paterson area throughout her life, building both a professional career in business administration and a political career centered on the 35th legislative district, which encompasses Paterson and surrounding communities in northern New Jersey.

Education

Pou pursued higher education at multiple institutions in the region. She attended Kean University, a public university located in Union, New Jersey. She also studied at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, the flagship campus of New Jersey's state university system, and at the University of Virginia. Her educational background across these institutions provided a foundation for her subsequent career in both business administration and public service. Prior to entering politics full-time, Pou worked as a business administrator, a background that informed her approach to legislative matters involving fiscal policy, government management, and economic development.

Career

New Jersey General Assembly (1997–2012)

Pou's career in elected office began in January 1997 when she was sworn into the New Jersey General Assembly to represent the 35th legislative district. She succeeded Bill Pascrell, who had been elected to the United States House of Representatives representing New Jersey's 8th congressional district in November 1996. Pou's swearing-in on January 29, 1997, was a historic occasion: she became the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent the 35th district in the state legislature.

The 35th legislative district is centered in Passaic County and includes the city of Paterson as well as surrounding communities. The district has a substantial Latino population, and Pou's election was viewed as a significant milestone in the political representation of that community.

Pou served in the General Assembly for fifteen years, winning re-election in multiple successive cycles. During this period, she established herself as a reliable member of the Democratic caucus and built expertise in areas including health care, education, and issues affecting the Latino community. Her lengthy tenure in the Assembly allowed her to accumulate seniority and institutional knowledge that positioned her for advancement to the state Senate.

New Jersey Senate (2012–2025)

In 2012, Pou moved from the General Assembly to the New Jersey Senate, succeeding Senator John Girgenti as the representative of the 35th legislative district. Her transition to the upper chamber of the New Jersey Legislature marked a continuation and expansion of her political influence. She was succeeded in the General Assembly by Shavonda Sumter and Benjie Wimberly.

Pou won re-election to the Senate consistently throughout her tenure. In the 2013 general election, she secured her seat with a decisive margin. She was re-elected again in 2017 and in 2021. In the 2023 election cycle, Pou again won re-election to the state Senate.

During her time in the Senate, Pou rose to a position of significant influence within the Democratic caucus. She served as the Majority Caucus Chair, one of the key leadership positions within the Senate majority. In this role, she helped coordinate party strategy and served as a bridge between the caucus leadership and rank-and-file members.

Pou also served as chair of the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus beginning in 2006, a position she held through her tenure in both the Assembly and the Senate. The Latino Caucus advocates for policies affecting the Hispanic community across New Jersey, and Pou's long chairmanship reflected her standing as one of the most prominent Latino elected officials in the state.

In addition to her state-level leadership, Pou was elected president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), serving in that capacity from 2022 to 2023. The NHCSL is a nonpartisan organization representing Hispanic state legislators from across the United States, and the presidency is a nationally recognized position within Latino political circles.

Pou also received the endorsement of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters during her Senate tenure, reflecting support from environmental advocacy organizations in the state.

Legislative Work

Throughout her time in the New Jersey Senate, Pou sponsored and advanced legislation on a range of issues. Among her legislative efforts was a bill to clarify SNAP benefits eligibility for certain non-citizens, addressing confusion surrounding the so-called "public charge rule." This legislation advanced through the Senate Health Committee.

Paterson Parking Authority

In 2019, it was reported that Pou had obtained a position with the Paterson Parking Authority, a municipal agency. The arrangement drew media attention regarding the intersection of her legislative duties and the municipal appointment. In New Jersey, it is not uncommon for state legislators, who serve in a part-time capacity, to hold additional employment or government positions simultaneously.

Election to Congress (2024)

On August 21, 2024, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., who had represented New Jersey's 9th congressional district since 1997 (previously the 8th district), died in office. Pascrell's death created a vacancy on the November 2024 general election ballot. Under New Jersey law, the local Democratic committee was empowered to select a replacement candidate.

On August 29, 2024, eight days after Pascrell's death, Democratic committee members officially selected Pou to replace him on the ballot as the party's candidate for the 9th congressional district. The selection carried a notable historical symmetry: Pou had first entered the legislature in 1997 by succeeding the same Bill Pascrell in the General Assembly when he was elected to Congress, and now, more than 27 years later, she was again succeeding him—this time in the congressional seat itself.

Pou went on to win the November 2024 general election and was sworn in as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district on January 3, 2025. She was succeeded in the New Jersey Senate by Benjie Wimberly, who had previously succeeded her in the General Assembly.

U.S. House of Representatives (2025–present)

Upon taking office in the 119th United States Congress, Pou was assigned to the House Committee on Homeland Security, where she serves on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism. She also serves as the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Task Force overseeing preparations for the FIFA World Cup.

In her early months in Congress, Pou has focused on several legislative priorities. She introduced legislation proposing an overhaul of the national terrorism alert system, drawing on her position on the Counterterrorism Subcommittee. She also introduced a bill that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from engaging in certain vehicle-related practices during enforcement operations, reflecting concerns about civil liberties and immigration enforcement tactics.

Pou has been an advocate for the Gateway Tunnel project, a major infrastructure initiative to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey to New York. In February 2025, she invited a Gateway Tunnel worker, Justin Fo, as her guest to the State of the Union address, underscoring her support for the project and for the workers employed on it.

Regarding homeland security matters, Pou publicly criticized delays in Department of Homeland Security funding related to World Cup security preparations, noting the significance of the event for the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area, where matches are scheduled to be held.

In establishing her district operations, Pou announced a senior district staff team to serve constituents of the 9th congressional district from her local office.

Personal Life

Nellie Pou resides in the area encompassed by the 35th legislative district and New Jersey's 9th congressional district. She is married to Richard Freid, and the couple have two children. Pou has maintained a long-standing connection to the city of Paterson, her birthplace and the center of the communities she has represented throughout her political career.

Pou issued a public statement on the passing of U.S. Representative Donald Payne Jr., expressing condolences for a fellow New Jersey member of Congress.

Recognition

Pou's career has been marked by several notable distinctions. She holds the historic distinction of being the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent New Jersey's 35th legislative district, a milestone she achieved upon her swearing-in to the General Assembly in January 1997.

Her election as president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) in 2022 represented national recognition of her work on behalf of Latino communities at the state legislative level. The NHCSL presidency is a position of national prominence within the network of Hispanic state legislators across the country.

During her time in the New Jersey Senate, Pou received the endorsement of the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, an environmental advocacy organization that evaluates legislators based on their environmental voting records and policy positions.

Her long tenure in the New Jersey Legislature—spanning 28 years across the General Assembly and Senate—and her subsequent election to Congress reflect a sustained record of electoral success in the 35th district and the broader 9th congressional district. Her selection to succeed Bill Pascrell on the congressional ballot in 2024 was itself a recognition of her standing within the Passaic County Democratic organization and the broader New Jersey Democratic Party.

Legacy

Nellie Pou's political career, spanning from 1997 to the present, represents one of the longest continuous records of elected service in New Jersey's 35th legislative district. As the first woman and the first Hispanic person to represent the district, her initial election in 1997 marked a turning point in the political representation of the diverse communities in and around Paterson.

Her career trajectory—from Assembly member to state Senator to member of Congress—traces a path through the institutional structures of New Jersey Democratic politics. The fact that she succeeded Bill Pascrell twice, first in the General Assembly in 1997 and then in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025, creates a distinctive throughline in the political history of the Paterson area and northern New Jersey.

As chair of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus for nearly two decades and as a former president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, Pou has been one of the most prominent Latina elected officials in New Jersey's history. Her leadership roles at both the state and national levels placed her at the center of efforts to advance policy priorities affecting Hispanic communities, including immigration, education, health care, and economic opportunity.

In Congress, Pou continues to represent a district with significant demographic diversity and pressing infrastructure needs, including the Gateway Tunnel project. Her committee assignment on Homeland Security and her early legislative activity suggest a focus on security, immigration policy, and infrastructure investment that builds on her decades of state-level experience.