Nellie Pou

The North Jersey congresswoman defeated Rosie Pino, who struggled to raise money

By Jonathan D. Salant, November 03 2026 8:12 pm

Rep. Nellie Pou, the only New Jersey Democrat to appear on the House Republicans’ target list, easily defeated Clifton City Councilwoman Rosie Pino in the 9th Congressional District, the New Jersey Globe projected.

Pou, who spent 28 years in the state legislature, narrowly was elected in 2024 to succeed the late Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-Paterson) in the Paterson-based district that President Donald Trump carried that year, thanks to his support among Hispanic and Muslim voters. That had Republicans dreaming of flipping the seat this year, and the House Republicans’ political arm named Pou as one of the Democrats they would seek to oust in 2026.

But Hispanics moved back into the Democratic camp during Mikie Sherrill’s victorious 2025 gubernatorial campaign and stayed there during the 2026 midterm elections, while Muslim Americans also soured on the president.

Meanwhile, Pou raised $3.1 million for her re-election while Pino brought in $548,325, less than one-fifth that amount, and Republican Party committees stayed out of the race while committees affiliated with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts) transferred more than $50,000 to the Democratic incumbent.

While favored to win, Pou was the only House Democratic incumbent from New Jersey not considered safe by the Cook Political Report, and Inside Elections didn’t move the district into the safe Democratic camp until Oct. 15.