Tiffany Burress launches GOP bid for longtime Democratic NJ House seat
Tiffany Burress, an attorney and wife of former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, has announced a Republican campaign for a North Jersey U.S. House district that has been in Democratic hands since 1981. Burress, a Pittsburgh‑born lawyer recognized as a top Bergen County attorney and a former Penn State athlete, is challenging Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, who won the seat in 2024 after the death of longtime Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. In her launch, she attacked Pou for spending 'fifty years on the government dime' and linked the incumbent’s voting record to that of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, while casting her own background as 'busting through' doors in the private sector and saying she would also challenge Republicans when she believes they are wrong. The district, which includes the Giants’ MetLife Stadium, Paterson and diverse southern Bergen County suburbs, unexpectedly flipped to Donald Trump in 2024 as Pou survived by only four points in a seat once considered safely blue, with analysts crediting Trump’s gains among Hispanic and Jewish voters. That narrow margin, coupled with current anger toward Trump among Muslim voters in Paterson, sets up a volatile 2026 contest in a district both parties once treated as an afterthought.
📌 Key Facts
- Tiffany Burress, a New Jersey attorney and former Penn State athlete, announced a Republican run for a North Jersey U.S. House seat on Tuesday.
- She is challenging Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, who won the long‑Democratic seat in 2024 after Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. died in office at age 87.
- The district, covering parts of Passaic and Bergen counties and including Paterson and MetLife Stadium, has not elected a Republican since 1981 but flipped to Donald Trump in 2024 even as Pou won by only about four points.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, Hispanics comprise 42.7% of the population in New Jersey's 9th congressional district, compared to 23.5% in New Jersey overall.
Congressional District 9, NJ | Data USA — Data USA
In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump won New Jersey's 9th congressional district by 1.1 points, after Joe Biden won it by 19 points in 2020.
New Jersey's 9th congressional district - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
In New Jersey towns with at least 40% Latino population, the Democratic presidential margin decreased from 43 points in 2020 to 20 points in 2024, representing a 23-point swing toward Republicans.
Six maps that show how Trump surged in New Jersey — New Jersey Globe
Paterson, New Jersey, a city in the 9th congressional district, has an estimated Muslim population of 30,000 out of approximately 156,000 residents, or about 19%.
NJ mayor calls Paterson the U.S. 'capital of Palestine' — NJ 101.5
Passaic County, which forms a significant part of New Jersey's 9th congressional district, flipped to Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, the first Republican win there since 1992.
Six maps that show how Trump surged in New Jersey — New Jersey Globe
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