Incumbent Nellie Pou (D) defeated Rosemary Pino (R) and Terrisa Bukovinac (Save Our Babies Party) to win the general election for New Jersey's 9th Congressional District on November 3, 2026.

The New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov said, "The 9th District has historically been safe Democratic ground, and Republicans have not won a House election there since the Reagan administration. But the district grew more Republican after lines were redrawn in late 2021, and longtime Rep. Bill Pascrell’s August 2024 death injected new uncertainty into contests there. Pou’s 4.9-point victory in the district in 2024 was the narrowest this millennium, and President Trump carried it narrowly against Democrat Kamala Harris that year."

In 2022, then-incumbent Bill Pascrell (D) won re-election 55.0%–43.6%. Pou won 50.8%–45.9% in 2024. That year, President Donald Trump (R) won the 9th District, defeating Kamala Harris (D) 49.2%–48.0%.[2] The 9th District was one of 23 U.S. House districts nationwide that Democrats defended in 2026 that Donald Trump (R) won in 2024. As of November 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Likely Democratic or Safe Democratic.

Before her election to the House, Pou served 13 years in the New Jersey Senate and 14 years in the New Jersey Assembly. She earlier worked as a staffer for the city of Paterson, including as the city's director of human services. Pou completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In her survey response, Pou said, "I know families in New Jersey are struggling at the gas pump, grocery stores, and to pay their energy bills. My number one priority is lowering the high prices that are crushing families across our district. There is not one cause for high costs and there is not one policy solution, so I support several avenues to address this issue."

Pino had, as of the 2026 elections, served on the Clifton City Council since 2019. She was a member of the Clifton Board of Education from 2014 to 2019. Pino's campaign website said, "Rosie fought tirelessly to ensure the city provided students with a top-notch education while maintaining fiscal responsibility. She helped invest over $8 million in capital improvements and allocated more than $3 million for children’s safety. ... On the Clifton City Council, Rosie fights every day to ensure that middle and working-class New Jerseyans are seen, heard, and respected."

As of November 2, 2026, Pou had raised $3.13 million and Pino had raised $548,000.

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. All 435 U.S. House districts were up for election.

At the time of the election, Republicans had a 219-214 majority with two vacancies in the U.S. House.