The U.S. will have two Black women serving as senators for the first time in history. Voters elected Lisa Blunt Rochester (left) from Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks (right) of Maryland to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday.
Blunt Rochester, 62, will be sworn in as the first Black Delawarean in the U.S. Senate. She said she was “not running to make history” — but she wanted to make an impact.
Joe Biden called Blunt Rochester to congratulate her on the historic win in his home state on Tuesday night.
“I stand here before you tonight extremely humbled and with a heart filled with gratitude to God and to the people of Delaware who put their trust in me,” she told the cheering crowd at an election party.
Blunt Rochester beat out Republican candidate Eric Hansen for the U.S. Senate.
Three other women of color have served in the U.S. Senate, Carol Moseley Braun, Kamala Harris and Laphonza Butler.
“We are a country that is strengthened over time by the soul and sacrifice of those who serve and by all of those who came before us,” Blunt Rochester said.
“As I prepare to step foot on that trail blazed by three strong Black women senators who came before us –– I have a message to the young people who are standing up, speaking up and giving your all for your country and the world: I see you, I’m grateful to you and you’ve got next.”
Alsobrooks, 53, a former County Executive and prosecutor who beat out the state’s former Republican governor, is the first Black senator from Maryland.
Blunt Rochester and Alsobrooks have said they became friends as they campaigned in their respective states. They call themselves “sister senator-to-be” in their private text chain, Blunt Rochester told the Associated Press.
