Rep.Bill Pascrell, Jr., the Democrat who represents New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, has announced he will seek reelection following the release of the new congressional map post-redistricting. In Hudson County, the 9th Congressional District encompasses both Secaucus and parts of Kearny.
“I am excited by the new map approved by the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission,” Pascrell Jr. said. “I am announcing today that I will run hard to continue representing all the great people in the Ninth Congressional District.”
The new 9th Congressional District is largely the same in Hudson County, with its borders changing elsewhere. Regardless of any changes, Pascrell was pleased with the outcome.
“We have been blessed to occupy one of the most vibrant and diverse districts in the entire United States. The modified Ninth District remains a melting pot of culture and a kaleidoscope of the American Dream. The Ninth District is my home. I am a proud son of Paterson, Passaic County, and North Jersey who has never left our home. An overwhelming 83 percent of our district remains exactly the same. Some added towns were part of our district before the last redistricting a decade ago.”
Pascrell said he was eager to meet the new residents of the 9th Congressional District and continue to represent them if elected. He was first elected in 1996 and will be seeking his 14th term in 2022.
“While I know intimately our Passaic, Bergen and Hudson County communities, I will work assiduously to meet all our new neighbors and learn the needs, hopes, and dreams of our new cities and towns,” Pascrell said. “They will have a tireless champion of their interests in Bill Pascrell. Our team will be at their disposal immediately. And the countless friends we have made in the communities leaving the Ninth District have given me the energy to do the job every day. They will always remain our friends and a part of our family and I am so proud of the achievements we won together.”
‘Staying to fight’
Despite neighboring Rep. Albio Sires of the 8th Congressional District announcing his retirement in December, in part due to the prospect of working with a Republican-led House of Representatives in 2022 following a potential shift in power in the wake of the midterm elections, Pascrell remains steadfast in wanting to serve the community in Congress.
“The challenges of our time are titanic and demand fearless leadership,” Pascrell said. “Every day I go to work to deliver for our communities, to stand up to the powerful, and to protect the United States of America. I fight ferociously for our state to get us the support and the respect we deserve. I was in the House chamber on January 6, 2021. The broken glass cracked under my shoes as I went to ratify the Electoral College for President Biden.”
“This is not exaggeration: the threat to our democracy today is greater than at any moment since 1860. You can either retreat or join the fight. I never retreat. I am staying to fight.”
And while he is staying and Sires is leaving, Pascrell commended the retiring congressman for his work in Congress throughout his career.
“Albio Sires is a giant in every sense of the word. For the last 16 years, I have had no better partner in Washington and North Jersey fighting for our neighbors,” said Pascrell. “Albio has battled for Amtrak and our commuters, he has battled for immigrants and human rights, and his battled to give the Garden State its rightful share of the pie we are so often denied. When we visited the terrible ICE facility in his district on Father’s Day, Albio was literally banging on the doors to get us in and get accountability for the men inside. There is nobody you’d want in a foxhole more than Albio. Our entire delegation will miss his leadership dearly. He’s my buddy and I’m going to miss him greatly. We have big shoes to fill.”
Pascrell is expected to again be challenged by Republican Billy Prempeh in the 2022 midterms, a rematch from 2020. However, the 9th Congressional District is largely a blue district, with Pascrell previously getting up to 65.8 percent of the vote to Prempeh’s 31.9 percent.
“I will run for this seat with every fiber in my body to keep the trust of our current neighbors and earn the trust of our new neighbors,” Pascrell said. “I cannot wait to get started.”
The filing deadline for congressional elections in New Jersey is on April 1, 2022, with the primaries taking place on June 7.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
