Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester Launches Historic Bid to Become Delaware’s First African-American Female U.S. Senator

Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester made history Wednesday when she announced her bid to replace retiring Sen. Tom Carper (D) in Delaware. Blunt Rochester, 61, launched her campaign with a 3.5-minute video centered on the theme of “bright hope,” a nod to her upbringing in a local church where her grandmother worshiped.

Blunt Rochester is the first woman and first African-American to represent Delaware in Congress, and if elected, she would become the third Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, after Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) and now-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Delaware at-large House member is viewed as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination in a reliably blue state. Blunt Rochester has held the seat since 2017 and is now hoping to make history again if elected as the state’s first African-American female U.S. senator.

The ad, dubbed “Bright Hope,” focuses on Blunt Rochester’s upbringing and her commitment to public service. She has served in the state government for nearly 20 years, including as Delaware’s Secretary of Labor and as the state’s first female lieutenant governor.

Blunt Rochester is running on a platform of economic and social justice, and has vowed to fight for the rights of all Delawareans. She is also committed to protecting the environment and ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare.