U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) is backing state Senator Nellie Pou (D-35) the 9th District congressional seat that was left vacant by the passing of the late U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell.
“Bill Pascrell’s passing has left an immense void in the New Jersey delegation and, as we mourn his loss, we must also ensure that the work and commitment to the district continues on. I am heartened to see so many accomplished individuals raise their hand to serve – individuals who I deeply admire and respect,” he began in a statement.
“I believe Nellie Pou – who also succeeded Bill Pascrell in the New Jersey Assembly in 1997 – is the right person for the job and she has my full support. She has the experience to get to work on Day One and it’s about damn time New Jersey sends a Latina to Congress.”
Pascrell, 87, died on Wednesday after being in and out of the hospital for the past month, drawing tributes from local officials, as well as his colleagues in Washington, D.C. – including Menendez.
The Passaic, Bergen, and Passaic County Democratic committee members of the 9th District will have to appoint Pascrell’s successor next week.
The convention is currently expected to be held on Tuesday or Thursday, the last possible day to appoint someone for the November 5th general election where they will take on Republican nominee Billy Prempeh.
He had lost to Pascrell in 2020 and 2022, though also significantly narrowed the margin the second time around (66-32 vs. 55-44).
For the time being, Pou is the only Latina candidate in the mix. Also declaring in CD-9 are Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-35), and Shavonda Sumter (D-35).
This is a unique situation where all three members of the 35th Legislative District will run against each other, which makes sense given it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to head to Congress.
Sumter already has the backing of Passaic County Democratic Committee Chair John Currie, her godfather in both the political and literal sense.
Currie’s counterparts in Bergen and Hudson Counties, Paul Juliano and Craig Guy – who is also the county executive – haven’t committed to anyone yet.
The Democratic committee in CD-9 has 366 seats in Passaic, 358 seats in Bergen, and 82 seats in Hudson.