NJ May Send Record Number Of Women To Congress: 2024 Election
NEW JERSEY — New Jersey will likely be sending four women to the halls of Congress in the wake of the 2024 election, a new milestone for the state.
Earlier this year, the Garden State made history for itself when LaMonica McIver was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives. It was the first time that three women represented New Jersey in Congress at the same time: McIver in the 10th District, Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District and Bonnie Watson Coleman in the 12th District.
Now, with Nellie Pou’s projected win in the 9th District, another high-water mark may have been reached. Read More: AP Calls NJ’s 9th Congressional District For Nellie Pou
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The Passaic County Democratic Committee selected Pou as their nominee for U.S. House after longtime U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell died in August.
Pou currently serves as a state senator in New Jersey’s 35th Legislative District. The lawmaker was born and raised in Paterson; her parents came to the Garden State from Puerto Rico in 1953.
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Pou – who has claimed victory in the still-uncertified race – said she will be the first Latina to represent the district if the results hold up. The 9th District contains 35 municipalities in three different counties: 24 in Bergen County, 9 in Passaic County, and 2 in Hudson County. The district office is in Paterson.
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy cheered for Pou’s projected victory, predicting that the four Democratic lawmakers will be a “powerhouse contingent for us in Washington.”
McIver, Sherrill and Watson Coleman have each won re-election in their own districts, the Associated Press is projecting.
WOMEN IN CONGRESS
The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, also said that Pou’s election would set a new record for the state.
It’s been an election cycle filled with highs and lows for women on the federal stage, the center noted.
Although New Jersey sent its Electoral College votes Kamala Harris’ way, it wasn’t enough to overcome Donald Trump’s projected victory. Read More: See Latest NJ Vote Totals As Trump Projected To Win Presidency
McIver said it “hurt to tell my daughter that we had lost the presidential campaign this morning,” adding that the only choice was to “move forward and fight.” It was a message that the CAWP also championed in the wake of Election Night.
“Progress is not inevitable,” the center wrote. “Once again, a woman has reached for the highest office in American politics, has come close to breaking that barrier, but ultimately was not elected.”
The CAWP continued:
“Kamala Harris’ candidacy exemplified a good deal of what our research tells us about women’s advantages as candidates and officeholders. She was a formidable fundraiser. She connected with voters on issues important to her and to them. Her identity provided her with unique perspectives on overlooked issues. Unfortunately, this contest also exemplified research on the obstacles women face when running for office, chief among them the unequal expectations placed upon women, and women of color in particular, who run for office. The day will come when America elects a woman president. In the meantime, we continue to celebrate the progress that has carried us to this moment. Women are serving as mayors, as state legislators, as governors, as representatives, as senators, as the highest leaders in legislative chambers both state and national, and, of course, as the vice president of the United States. They have held every political office in America. Except one.”
“But we must also acknowledge all else that remains undone,” the CAWP said. “Women still hold fewer than a third of all political seats at every level of office. We have made great strides, yes, but there are many steps left on the path to parity.”
“The work continues,” the group added.
Here are some other significant numbers and milestones that come in the wake of Tuesday’s election, according to the CAWP (see their updated post here):
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