Tiffany Burress Announces Campaign for NJ-09

Vulnerable House Democrat Nellie Pou Now Faces Top-Tier Opponent in Trump-Won District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2026

PASSAIC COUNTY - Today, Tiffany Glenn Burress, an attorney, businesswoman, and community leader who has built her career standing up to powerful interests and fighting for everyday people, announced her campaign for Congress as a Republican in New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, challenging Democratic incumbent Nellie Pou.

Burress is a workers’ compensation and personal injury and attorney with more than 15 years of experience representing working families across North Jersey. Throughout her career, she has taken on insurance companies, corporate defendants, and entrenched systems that put profits and politics ahead of people.

“Every day in court, I fight for people who feel like the system is stacked against them, taking on insurance companies and big corporations that delay, deny, and deflect responsibility when people are hurt on the job or injured through no fault of their own,” Burress said. “It’s a career spent fighting for everyday people who don’t have lobbyists or political connections to help them get ahead. As the daughter of a steelworker and a teacher, I learned early the value of hard work, independence, and standing up for people who need a voice. Families in our district deserve a representative who understands those struggles firsthand and is focused on solutions, not looking for the next promotion from party bosses.”

The 9th Congressional District covers parts of Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties, including major urban areas such as Paterson and East Rutherford. President Donald Trump won the 9th District during the 2024 campaign, making incumbent Nellie Pou one of only 13 Democrats in the House representing a Trump-won district. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) named NJ-09 as one of the top pick-up opportunities for Republicans in the 2026 midterm.

“I built my career outside of politics, in the private sector. That real-world experience is exactly what this district needs in Washington,” Burress continued. “But for fifty years, Nellie Pou has made a career out of politics and party insiders. After decades in government, she’s become part of the political class that is increasingly disconnected from everyday life in North Jersey. In Congress, she votes the party line with her most progressive allies, all while our communities struggle with higher costs and less opportunity.”

Watch the Tiffany Burress for Congress Launch Video “Sneak Peek” here.

Born in Pittsburgh, Tiffany Burress has called New Jersey home for over two decades. She was a standout track and field athlete at Penn State University, eventually qualifying for the U.S. Olympic trails. She is an attorney with more than 15 years of experience representing injured workers and families across the Metropolitan area in workers’ compensation and personal injury law, and serves on the Workers’ Compensation Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She lives in Passaic County with her husband, Plaxico, where they raised their two children, Elijah and Giovanna.

Note to the Editor: Tiffany Burress will have press availability on January 12th, for interviews or media appearances.

Script: (VO) Congresswoman Nellie Pou has a charmed life. 50 years on the government dime. Never had a private sector job. In 1997, doors started opening. The party bosses gave Nellie two jobs. A city administrator and a State Assembly seat. 2011? Another door opened. The State Senate. No campaign, handed the job. 2024, the bosses did it again. Promoted Nellie to Congress without a race. In Washington, Nellie does what she’s told. Joined the progressives. Votes with AOC almost every time.

(Burress) North Jersey needs something different, not the same tired partisanship. I’m Tiffany Burress, running for Congress. My career is in the private sector, protecting workers. Doors didn’t just open for me, I busted through them, becoming a successful lawyer, a wife, and mother of two. When my party is wrong, I’ll say it, and bust down doors to fix it. You won’t get that from Nellie and 50 years of partisan politics. I’m Tiffany Burress. I approve this message. Let’s try something different.