State Senator Nelida “Nellie” Pou just got a new title: US Representative-elect, beating out Republican challenger Billy Prempeh–although only just.

As of Tuesday night, according to unofficial results, Pou took 51.7% in Hudson County, lost Bergen with 47.0% to Prempeh’s 50.1%, and scraped out 52.0% in her home county of Passaic.

When US Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., passed away at the age of 87 in August of this year, the Democratic Party mourned one of their pugilistic champions—a political powerhouse out of Paterson, with a record of public service stretching back decades. He served in the US Army in the 1950s, became Mayor of Paterson, State Assemblyman, and later Congressman for CD-6 and then CD-9. Pascrell’s passing also left the Democrats with a serious problem: there was not much time for campaigning with half of summer already gone. Pou was acclaimed the nominee at a special convention held at Passaic County Technical Institute on August 29, dropping her into campaign season with only 9 weeks to rapidly expand her name recognition to the greater district and make her case to the voters. It would not be a cakewalk: Prempeh had the last five years to become a recognized name.

Prempeh, an ascendant 35-year-old Air Force veteran from Paterson, had faced Pascrell in 2022 and in 2020, building his base of support heavily in the district’s suburbs which turned out in strength. While he did not dislodge Pascrell in either race, both times he gained votes against the incumbent, representing a credible threat as seen by the razor-close margins in the 2024 general election.

Pou, 68, is a North Haledon resident, served as Pascrell’s successor in the State Assembly in 1997, becoming State Senator for LD-35 in 2012 with the departure of Hawthorne’s Senator John Girgenti. Pou will continue to follow in Pascrell’s footsteps, as it were, when she is sworn in in the US House of Representatives for the 9th District.

Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie had initially put forward Assemblywoman Shavonda E. Sumter as a candidate to replace Pascrell, but an accord with Bergen Chairman Juliano and Hudson Chairman Guy put their support behind Pou. No one challenged her bid, doubtless to the relief of the party leaders.

Although she calls the Ruby Red North Haledon home, like Pascrell, Pou was born in Paterson and presently serves as the Chairwoman of the Senate Commerce Committee, the Vice-Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Chairwoman of the New Jersey Legislative Latino Caucus. Of Puerto Rican heritage, Pou will make history when she takes her seat in the House as the first Latina to be part of New Jersey’s congressional delegation.