The Democratic party chairs in Passaic, Bergen, and Hudson Counties, respectively, are endorsing state Senator Nellie Pou (D-35) for Congress in the 9th District.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I considered Bill to be a personal friend but also a tremendous fighter for our district in Washington. Senator Nellie Pou has a long and distinguished record of public service, and we believe she is the right choice to represent our diverse and vibrant district in Congress,” Currie said in a statement.
“We are excited about the historic opportunity to elect the first Latina congresswoman in our state’s history.”
While Currie had endorsed his goddaughter, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D-35) about 24 hours after U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-9) passed away at 87 last week, he agreed to go with Pou after conversing with his counterparts in Bergen and Hudson.
“This is a pivotal moment for New Jersey. Senator Pou’s candidacy represents progress for our state and a continuation of the strong leadership that Congressman Bill Pascrell provided for nearly three decades. We are united in our belief that Nellie Pou is the best person to carry on that legacy,” said Bergen County Democratic Committee Chair Paul Juliano.
“While we have great respect for all the candidates who have shown interest in running, Senator Pou is uniquely qualified to serve the residents of the 9th District. Her experience and leadership will ensure that our community continues to thrive and we believe she is the best candidate to keep us moving forward during this critical time in our nation’s history,” added Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Craig Guy, also the county executive.
Among political insiders, Guy was widely expected to support Pou after U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) endorsed her on Saturday.
The Democratic committee in CD-9 has 366 seats in Passaic, 358 seats in Bergen, and 82 seats in Hudson (Secaucus and parts of Kearny).
With Pou now the clear frontrunner for the CD-9 Democratic committee convention on Thursday, Sumter could potentially succeed her in the upper chamber in Trenton.
Though their other running mate, Assemblywoman Benjie Wimberly, who has also declared his candidacy for Congress, could pursue that seat as well in the event Pou gets the nod to take on GOP congressional nominee Billy Prempeh on November 5th.
Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh is also pursuing the congressional seat that had been occupied by Pascrell since 1997.
