Blunt Rochester began her political career working for Tom Carper, first in the House of Representatives, and later as he became governor of Delaware. She was appointed deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in 1993 and secretary of the Department of Labor in 1998. Blunt Rochester was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. During the 2020 presidential election, she was one of Joe Biden's campaign co-chairs.
In 2023, Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy to represent Delaware in the United States Senate in the 2024 election and succeed the retiring Carper, who endorsed her in the race.[4][5] Blunt Rochester won the Democratic primary unopposed and defeated Republican nominee Eric Hansen by a landslide in the general election.
Early life and education
Blunt Rochester was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 10, 1962.[6] Her family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1969.[7] Her father, Ted Blunt, was an educator who served on the Wilmington City Council, including as council president.[8] Her mother, Alice LaTrelle, worked in retail. Her sister Marla Blunt Carter is a professor at Rutgers University.[2]
Blunt Rochester worked for Tom Carper as an intern in 1989, when he represented Delaware's at-large congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. After the internship, she continued to work for Carper as a constituent relations caseworker, and worked on his transition team when he was elected governor of Delaware.[2][9][10] Carper appointed her deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services in 1993 and secretary of the Department of Labor in 1998. Governor Ruth Ann Minner named Blunt Rochester the state personnel director in 2001.[2]
In 2004, Blunt Rochester left government service and became the CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.[2][7]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Lisa Blunt Rochester questioning U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during a hearing in front of the House Committee on Agriculture in Washington, D.C., May 17, 2017.Lisa Blunt Rochester with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office, May 26, 2021
Blunt Rochester ran for the United States House of Representatives in Delaware's at-large congressional district in the 2016 election.[11] She won the Democratic Party nomination on September 13 with 44% of the vote in a five-candidate primary, defeating State Senator Bryan Townsend and venture capital firm owner Sean Barney.[12] In the November 8 general election, she defeated the Republican nominee, Wyoming Mayor Hans Reigle.[13] When she was sworn into office on January 3, 2017, she became the first woman and the first African-American to represent Delaware in Congress.[13] During her swearing-in, she carried a scarf imprinted with her great-great-great-grandfather's Reconstruction Eravoter registration card. He had been a slave.[10]
During the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, Blunt Rochester was ushered into a secure room with fellow members of Congress. Despite House rules on mask mandates, many Republican members, including Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, abstained from wearing a mask. A clip went viral of Blunt Rochester offering masks to her Republican colleagues, in which they seemingly mocked and refused her offer. In the following days, multiple members tested positive for COVID-19.[15]
As of 2022, Blunt Rochester had voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.[17]
Blunt Rochester's record on Israel is mixed. She voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel,[18][19] but voted against providing further aid in November 2023 and in February 2024.[20][21] She voted to provide aid in April 2024.[22] In September 2024, she voted against an anti-BDS bill.[23]
2020 presidential election
Blunt Rochester played an active role in the 2020 presidential election. After Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee in March 2020, his campaign named her one of its co-chairs.[24] At the end of April, Blunt Rochester was named a member of the vetting committee for Biden's vice presidential candidate selection.[25]
On June 21, 2023, Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 election to succeed Tom Carper.[34] Carper endorsed Blunt Rochester as his successor at his press conference announcing his retirement.[5] She was widely considered the heavy favorite to win both the Democratic primary and the general election.[35][36] Blunt Rochester won the election with 283,298 votes (57%) to Republican Eric Hansen's 197,753 (40%).[37]
Blunt Rochester was married to her first husband, professional basketball player Alex Bradley, from 1982 to 2003. They met at Villanova University and lived in Italy and France while he played basketball professionally. They have two children together.[2] The marriage ended with an amicable divorce in 2003.[39]
She met her second husband, Charles Rochester, later in 2003. They married in 2006.[2] Charles died in 2014[1][10][8][40] when his Achilles tendon ruptured, causing blood clots to go to his heart and lungs.
.jpg)
.jpg)
