Angela Alsobrooks and Delaware congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester could make history this November by becoming the first two Black women to occupy Senate seats at the same time.
Alsobrooks, the current county executive of Prince George’s County in Maryland, is advocating for public safety, economic development and social equity. With strong endorsements from Democratic leaders, such as former President Barack Obama, Alsobrooks is running to fill the seat vacated by longtime Senator Ben Cardin, who is retiring after decades of political service.
In Delaware, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester is making a similar bid for the seat being vacated by Senator Tom Carper. Blunt Rochester has already made history as Delaware’s first Black woman elected to Congress, and her potential move to the Senate could mark another significant first.
Blunt Rochester advocates for affordable healthcare, environmental sustainability and policies to uplift working families.
The potential for Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester to become the first two Black women to serve concurrently in the Senate is a historic moment in the push from the two for diversity in government.
“For the first time, there’s a potential to have not just one at a time but two—double the number!” Blunt Rochester said.
According to a recent report by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Black women remain “underrepresented at all levels of government, particularly in the U.S. Senate,” where only two Black women, Carol Moseley Braun and current Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris have ever served.
“The candidacies of Angela Alsobrooks and Brooke Rochester have the potential to reshape our understanding of who belongs in the U.S. Senate,” Kelly Dittmar, director of research at CAWP, said.
Dittmar said their elections would signal a “significant step forward” for women of color, particularly Black women, whose voices are “often marginalized in national politics.”
Braylond Hannah, a film and TV major from Texas, provides his insight into the idea of two Black women occupying the Senate together.
“I always look for stories that reflect real change and progress. Representation like that matters,” he said. “It’s not just symbolic—it’d be a powerful statement about where we are as a country. Representation like that matters.”
Blunt Rochester spoke to the importance of having representation in these spaces.
“We are a part of this country. We helped build this country. We deserve to be in these places, in these spaces,” Blunt Rochester said.
Alsobrooks also shared her thoughts on representation in the government.
“Every time they see me in that city [Washington, D.C.] they will most definitely see you,” Alsobrooks said to her community.
Blunt Rochester and Alsobrooks have voiced support for each other, even appearing together on a few occasions, such as a panel discussion on Sept. 16.
During the panel, both individuals expressed excitement at the possibility of going to the Senate together.
“To know that you’re going to be in a place and belong in a place with someone who has shared values, expectations and lived experiences [that’s] invaluable,” Blunt Rochester said.
She noted that she had started calling Alsobrooks her “sister senator-to-be.”
Speaking during a panel at the Harborside Hotel on Oct. 12, Alsobrooks also emphasized the critical importance of protecting the Democratic majority.
“When Vice President Kamala wins in November… and she will,” she said. “In order for Kamala Harris to be successful we need a majority in the Senate.”
An emphasis of Alsobrooks’ campaign is the need for a Democratic majority in the Senate.
“If you send these Republicans a majority [in the Senate] they will block everything she tries to do,” she said. “We have already seen this before.”
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
