Nellie Pou

Nelida "Nellie" Pou (born May 20, 1956; pronounced "Poe" ) 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.

Pou serves in the senate as the Majority Caucus Chair. Pou has chaired the bicameral New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus since 2006. From 2022 to 2023, Pou was also president of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.

Education
Pou attended Kean College, Rutgers University, and the University of Virginia.

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-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council (1993–1997). 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, 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 was vacating. She defeated former Haledon, New Jersey, mayor Ken Pengitore in the 2011 New Jersey Senate election and was sworn in as Senator in January 2012. She was re-elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2023.

Committees
Committee assignments for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:
 * Commerce (as chair)
 * Judiciary (as vice-chair)

District 35
Each of the 40 districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The representatives from the 35th District for the 2024—2025 Legislative Session are:
 * Senator Nellie Pou  (D)
 * Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter  (D)
 * Assemblyman Benjie E. Wimberly  (D)