Who's In the Race

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ) faces Republican Rosie Pino and independent Terrisa Bukovinac in the Nov. 3 general election in New Jersey's 9th District. ​

Pou has represented the district since 2025, previously serving in the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly for nearly three decades. Pino has served on the Clifton City Council since 2019 and on the Clifton Board of Education before that; her campaign describes her as an educator and cancer survivor. She won the June 2 Republican primary with about 51 percent of the vote over Tiffany Burress.

What They Stand For

Pou has supported extending Affordable Care Act tax credits to lower health-care costs for New Jersey families, according to her campaign website. She has also supported:

  • Opposing the Republican budget, which she has described as "cruel," according to her official House website.

Pino has called for fiscal responsibility, according to her campaign website. She has also supported:

  • Safer communities,
  • Energy independence,
  • School choice, and
  • Border security.

Bukovinac, founder of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, is running to oppose abortion and, her campaign says, to bring attention to its victims.

The Money Behind the Race

Through June 30, Pou had raised about $2.7 million and had about $1.8 million in the bank, roughly 45 times as much cash as Pino, who had raised about $438,000 and had about $40,000 on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Pino also carried about $157,000 in debt, more than a third of her total receipts.

Outside spending in the race remains minimal. Outside groups have spent a combined $246 supporting Pou, led by GiveGreen United Action at $236, and $264 supporting Pino, from RNJ 2 Save America, according to Federal Election Commission records. Neither total approaches the $10,000 threshold that would signal a significant outside-money presence in the race.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the race "Likely Democratic" as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball agreed, also rating it "Likely Democratic" as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it "Likely Democratic" as of Oct. 2.

On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Pou, a 96.04 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 14; Republicans, whose nominee is Pino, stood at 3.96 percent.

The district has backed Democrats in each of the last two cycles: Bill Pascrell Jr. won it in 2022 with about 55 percent of the vote, and Pou carried it in 2024 with about 51 percent.

In 2024, Democrats won nine of the state's 12 U.S. House seats, and Republicans won the other three. Democrat Kamala Harris carried New Jersey in the 2024 presidential election with about 52 percent of the vote.

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