Lisa Blunt Rochester

Lisa LaTrelle Blunt Rochester (née Blunt; born February 10, 1962) is an American politician serving since 2025 as the junior United States senator from Delaware. From 2017 to 2025, she served as the U.S. representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman and first African American to represent Delaware in both chambers of Congress.

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 Delaware's 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.

After Carper announced he would not seek reelection to the Senate in 2024, Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy and received his support, winning the general election after winning the Democratic nomination unopposed.

Early life and education Blunt Rochester was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 10, 1962. Her family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1969. Her mother, Alice LaTrelle, worked in retail. Her sister Marla Blunt Carter is a professor at Rutgers University.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections Representative Blunt Rochester during the 115th Congress in 2017. Lisa Blunt Rochester questioning Agriculture 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.

Blunt Rochester ran for the United States House of Representatives in in the 2016 election. 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. In the November 8 general election, she defeated the Republican nominee, Wyoming Mayor Hans Reigle. 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.

Tenure On December 18, 2019, Blunt Rochester voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

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.

Blunt Rochester voted to impeach Trump a second time on January 13, 2021.

As of 2022, Blunt Rochester had voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

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. At the end of April, Blunt Rochester was named a member of the vetting committee for Biden's vice presidential candidate selection.

Rochester was a 2020 Democratic National Convention speaker.

Committee assignments For the 118th Congress: Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce

Caucus memberships Black Maternal Health Caucus Congressional Arts Caucus Congressional Black Caucus Congressional Progressive Caucus Future of Work Caucus (founder/co-chair) New Democrat Coalition Rare Disease Caucus Congressional Coalition on Adoption

U.S. Senate

Elections

2024

On June 21, 2023, Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 election to succeed Tom Carper. Carper endorsed Blunt Rochester as his successor at his press conference announcing his retirement. Blunt Rochester won the election with 57% of the vote to Republican nominee Eric Hansen's 40%.

Committee assignments Source:

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Education and the American Family (Ranking Member) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security

Personal life 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. The marriage ended with an amicable divorce in 2003.

She met her second husband, Charles Rochester, later in 2003. They married in 2006. when his Achilles tendon ruptured, causing blood clots to go to his heart and lungs.

Blunt Rochester is a Protestant.

While living in China, Blunt Rochester co-authored the book Thrive: 34 Women, 18 Countries, One Goal.

Electoral history

Book