Nellie Pou declares victory over Rosie Pino in NJ’s 9th District
Rep. Nellie Pou declared victory on Nov. 3 in her bid for a second term representing New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, where Republicans had hoped to build on President Donald Trump’s narrow win two years earlier. The Democratic incumbent issued a statement at about 10 p.m. thanking voters after opening a large lead over Republican Rosie Pino, a Clifton councilwoman, in initial returns that included early voting and some mail-in ballots. Independent Terrisa Bukovinac also ran for the seat. “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the people of New Jersey’s Ninth District for the trust they have placed in me,” Pou said. Speaking by phone just a few minutes earlier as she traveled between campaign gatherings, Pou said she was optimistic about the returns but stopped short of declaring a win. “I do believe that we will be victorious, and the numbers are looking exceptionally good,” she told NorthJersey.com. Pou first won the seat in 2024 after the death of longtime Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., defeating Republican Billy Prempeh by about 5 percentage points even as Trump narrowly carried the district. Democrats regained ground in the 2025 governor’s race in the district, which includes Paterson, Passaic
