Nellie Pou

Nelida "Nellie" Pou (born May 20, 1956[1][2]) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. She previously represented the 35th district in the General Assembly. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed Bill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district.[3]

Nellie Pou
Pou in 2012
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 35th district
Assumed office
January 10, 2012
Preceded byJohn Girgenti
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
from the 35th district
In office
January 29, 1997 – January 10, 2012
Preceded byBill Pascrell
Succeeded byShavonda E. Sumter
Benjie Wimberly
Personal details
Born (1956-05-20) May 20, 1956
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Richard Freid
ResidenceNorth Haledon, New Jersey[1]
Alma materKean College
Rutgers University
University of Virginia
OccupationAssistant Business Administrator, City of Paterson
WebsiteLegislative biography site

Education and Non-legislative Career

Pou attended Kean College, Rutgers University and the University of Virginia (Business Administration).

She worked most of her career for the City of Paterson, where she has served as Business Administrator (2014–18), Assistant Business Administrator (2003–14 and 1997–98), Director of Human Services (1986-1997), and CETA Training and Education Coordinator (1975–83).[2]

Currently, she is a Project Coordinator for the Paterson Parking Authority.[4]

She also served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (1997–2016) and on the Passaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council (1993–1997).[2] She was the Passaic County Youth Program Coordinator from 1983-85.[2]

Legislative career

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, to which he was sworn in on January 3, 1997.[5] She was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002–2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000–2001.[2]

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.[2] 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 was vacating. She defeated former Haledon, New Jersey mayor Ken Pengitore in the general election and was sworn in as Senator in January 2012.[6]

In the Senate, she serves as the Chair of the Commerce Committee, as the Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee, and as a member of the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity.[7]

New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus

Pou has chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus since 2006.[7]

District 35

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature elects one member of the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The Assembly representatives from the 35th district for the 2018–2019 Legislative Session are:[8]

Election history
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2017[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nellie Pou (incumbent) 21,425 79.0
Republican Marwan Sholakh 5,698 21.0
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2013[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nellie Pou (incumbent) 22,154 74.1
Republican Lynda Gallashaw 7,737 25.9
Democratic hold
New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Nellie Pou 14,386 74.7
Republican Ken Pengitore 4,867 25.3
Democratic hold

References
  1. Clunn, Nick. "GOP faults Dems on Paterson ties in 35th District", The Record (Bergen County), October 26, 2011. Accessed September 11, 2015. "Nellie Pou (D); Age: 55; Hometown: North Haledon"
  2. Senator Pou's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed November 21, 2019.
  3. "Pou to Take Assembly Oath as First Woman, First Hispanic to Represent the 35th District", The Italian Voice, February 13, 1997. Accessed April 7, 2008. "Nellie Pou took the oath of office Wednesday January 29th for the 35th District Assembly seat vacated by William J. Pascrell Jr., who was elected to Congress in November. Pou is the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th District in the Legislature."
  4. "Nellie Pou nets Paterson parking agency job". North Jersey. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  5. Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey - Two Hundred and Eleventh Legislature (First Session) (PDF). Skinder-Strauss Associates. 2004. pp. 289–290. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
  6. Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 22, 2012.
  7. "Nellie Pou (D)". www.njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  8. "District 35". www.njleg.state.nj.us. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  9. "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/07/2017 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  10. "Official List Candidates for State Senate For GENERAL ELECTION 11/05/2015 Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. December 4, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
New Jersey Senate
Preceded by
John Girgenti		 Member of the New Jersey Senate for the 35th District
January 10, 2012 – present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
New Jersey General Assembly
Preceded by
Bill Pascrell		 Member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 35th District
January 11, 1994 – January 10, 2012
With: Alfred E. Steele, Elease Evans		 Succeeded by
Shavonda E. Sumter
Benjie Wimberly
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