Nelida "Nellie" Pou (born May 20, 1956; pronounced "Poe") is an American
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
politician who has served in the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
since 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. She previously represented the 35th district in the
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed
Bill Pascrell
William James Pascrell Jr. (born January 25, 1937) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for , having served in this position since January 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and a native of Paterson, New Jersey, Pascrel ...
, she became the first woman and the first
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
to represent the 35th district.
Pou serves in the senate as the Majority Caucus Chair.
Education
Pou attended
Kean College
Kean University () is a public university in Union and Hillside, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education.
Kean University was founded in 1855 in Newark, New Jersey, as the Newark Normal School. Initially establi ...
,
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
, and the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
.
Career
Pou has spent most of her career at the City of Paterson, where she has served as business administrator (2014–18), assistant business administrator (2003–2014, 1997–1998), director of human services (1986–1997), and CETA training and education coordinator (1975–1983).
Currently, she is a project Ccordinator for the Paterson Parking Authority.
She also served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (1997–2016) and on the
Passaic
Passaic ( or ) is a city in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a total population of 70,537, ranking as the 16th largest municipality in New Jersey and an increase of 656 from the 69,7 ...
-
Bergen County
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. She was the coordinator of the Passaic County Youth Program from 1983 to 1985.
New Jersey General Assembly
Pou was appointed to a vacant seat in the New Jersey General Assembly on January 29, 1997. The seat had previously been held by Bill Pascrell, who had served in the General Assembly since 1988. Pascrell resigned from his position after winning election to the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
, to which he was sworn in on January 3, 1997. She was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002–2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000–2001.
In the Assembly Pou served on the Appropriations Committee (as Chair from 2006-2011), the Budget Committee, the Education Committee and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. Previously, Pou served on the Senior Issues Committee (as Chair), the Appropriations Committee (as Vice Chair) and the Education Committee.
New Jersey Senate
Pou elected not to run for re-election to her Assembly seat in 2011, instead choosing to run for the State Senate seat from the district that long-time incumbent
John Girgenti
John A. Girgenti (born August 8, 1947) is an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1990 to 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. Girgenti was the Senate Majority Whip from 2004 to 2007. He is ...
was vacating. She defeated former
Haledon, New Jersey
Haledon ( ) is a borough in Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,052, an increase of 734 (+8.8%) from the 2010 census count of 8,318, which in turn reflected an in ...
mayor Ken Pengitore in the general election and was sworn in as Senator in January 2012. In March 2021, Pou secured her party's nomination to run in the
2021 New Jersey State Senate election
The 2021 New Jersey State Senate election was held on November 2, 2021. New Jersey voters elected state senators in all of the state's legislative districts for a two-year term to the New Jersey Senate.
Incumbents not running for re-election ...
.
New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus
Pou has chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
. Accessed January 28, 2022.
*Commerce, Chair
*Judiciary, Vice-Chair
*Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity
District 35
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
and two members in the
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
. Accessed January 11, 2022.
* Senator Nellie Pou (D)
* Assemblywoman
Shavonda E. Sumter
Shavonda E. Sumter (born January 19, 1974) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented the 35th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office in January 2012.
Personal
Sumter was born in Paters ...
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...
Project Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in si ...