Nellie Pou
Nelida "Nellie" Pou (May 20, 1956)[citation needed] 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 in to the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed Bill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district.[1]
Pou 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), 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. She has served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect since 1997 and was Chair of the Paterson Department of Human Resources from 1983-1997. She served on the Passaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council from 1993-1997.[2]
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.[3]
Pou attended Kean College, Rutgers University and the University of Virginia (Business Administration). She is an Assistant Business Administrator in Paterson.[2]
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[edit] District 35
Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 35th District for the 2012-2013 Legislative Session are:
- Assemblyman Benjie E. Wimberly, and
- Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter
[edit] Election History
| New Jersey State Senate elections, 2011[3] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Democratic | Nellie Pou | 14,386 | 74.7% | |
| Republican | Ken Pengitore | 4,867 | 25.3% | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
[edit] References
- ^ "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."
- ^ a b c d Senator Pou's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 20, 2012.
- ^ a b Official List Candidate Returns for State Senate For November 2011 General Election, New Jersey Department of State, December 14, 2011. Accessed January 22, 2012.
[edit] External links
- Senator Pou's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
- New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
- Assembly Member Nellie Pou, Project Vote Smart
- New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003
- 1956 births
- American people of Cuban descent
- Living people
- Kean University alumni
- Members of the New Jersey General Assembly
- New Jersey Democrats
- New Jersey State Senators
- People from Passaic County, New Jersey
- People from Paterson, New Jersey
- Rutgers University alumni
- University of Virginia alumni
- Women state legislators in New Jersey
