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Lisa Blunt Rochester

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In this article, the surname is Blunt Rochester, not Rochester.
Lisa Blunt Rochester
Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator-elect
from Delaware
Assuming office
January 3, 2025
SucceedingTom Carper
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Delaware's at-large district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2017
Preceded byJohn Carney
Personal details
Born
Lisa LaTrelle Blunt

(1962-02-10) February 10, 1962 (age 62)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1982; div. 2003)​
  • Charles Rochester
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2006; died 2014)​
Children2
RelativesTed Blunt (father)
EducationFairleigh Dickinson University (BA)
University of Delaware (MA)
WebsiteHouse website

Lisa LaTrelle Blunt Rochester (née Blunt;[1] born February 10, 1962) is an American politician who is a United States senator-elect from Delaware. She has served as the U.S. representative for Delaware's at-large congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first woman, and first African American, to represent Delaware in Congress.[2]

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.[3][4] Blunt Rochester won the Democratic primary unopposed and defeated Republican nominee Eric Hansen in the general election. She will be the first woman and person of color to represent Delaware in the Senate.[5][6]

Early life and education

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Blunt Rochester was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 10, 1962.[7] Her family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1969.[8] Her father, Ted Blunt, was an educator who served on the Wilmington City Council, including as council president.[9] Her mother, Alice LaTrelle, worked in retail. Her sister Marla Blunt Carter is a professor at Rutgers University.[2]

Blunt Rochester attended Padua Academy, began college at Villanova University and transferred to the University of Delaware in her sophomore year.[2] She left college to live in Europe, and later received her bachelor's degree in international relations from Fairleigh Dickinson University and her master's degree in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware.[8][2]

Early political career

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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][10][11] 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][8]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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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.[12] 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.[13] In the November 8 general election, she defeated the Republican nominee, Wyoming Mayor Hans Reigle.[14] 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.[14] During her swearing-in, she carried a scarf imprinted with her great-great-great-grandfather's Reconstruction Era voter registration card. He had been a slave.[11]

Tenure

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On December 18, 2019, Blunt Rochester voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.[15]

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.[16]

Blunt Rochester voted to impeach Trump a second time on January 13, 2021.[17]

As of 2022, Blunt Rochester had voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.[18]

Blunt Rochester voted to provide Israel with support following the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel,[19][20] but voted against providing further aid in November 2023 and in February 2024.[21][22]

2020 presidential election

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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.[23] At the end of April, Blunt Rochester was named a member of the vetting committee for Biden's vice presidential candidate selection.[24]

Rochester was a 2020 Democratic National Convention speaker.[25]

Committee assignments

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For the 118th Congress:[26]

Caucus memberships

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U.S. Senate

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Main article: 2024 United States Senate election in Delaware

On June 21, 2023, Blunt Rochester announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 election to succeed Tom Carper.[33] Carper endorsed Blunt Rochester as his successor at his press conference announcing his retirement.[4] She was widely considered the heavy favorite to win both the Democratic primary and the general election.[34][35] Blunt Rochester won the election with 56.6% of the vote.[36]

Personal life

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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.[37]

She met her second husband, Charles Rochester, later in 2003. They married in 2006.[2] Charles died in 2014[1][11][9][38] when his Achilles tendon ruptured, causing blood clots to go to his heart and lungs.

Blunt Rochester identifies as a Protestant.[39]

While living in China, Blunt Rochester co-authored the book Thrive: 34 Women, 18 Countries, One Goal.[40][41]

Electoral history

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Election results
Year Office Election Subject Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes %
2016 U.S. House of

Representatives

General Lisa Blunt Rochester Democratic 223,554 55.5% Hans Reigle Republican 172,290 41.0%
2018 U.S. House of

Representatives

General Lisa Blunt Rochester Democratic 227,333 64.5% Scott Walker Republican 125,381 35.6%
2020 U.S. House of

Representatives

General Lisa Blunt Rochester Democratic 280,612 57.6% Lee Murphy Republican 195,708 40.2%
2022 U.S. House of

Representatives

General Lisa Blunt Rochester Democratic 178,416 55.5% Lee Murphy Republican 138,201 43%

Book

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  • Blunt Rochester, Lisa; Guzman, Ale; Kuguru, Ruth (2010). Thrive: Thirty-four Women, Eighteen Countries, One Goal. Hong Kong: Grace Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 978-9881922014. OCLC 707711787.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Weddings". The News Journal. June 20, 1982. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Nagengast, Larry (June 2017). "Lisa Blunt Rochester is Ready to Shake Things Up: Get to know Delaware's first black, first female congresswoman". Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Broadwater, Luke (June 21, 2023). "Delaware's Only House Member Enters Senate Race, Becoming Instant Favorite". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Everett, Burgess (May 22, 2023). "Carper to retire, opening safe Dem Senate seat". Politico. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Killion, Nikole (June 21, 2023). "Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware launches historic bid for Senate - CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Broadwater, Luke (June 21, 2023). "Delaware's Only House Member Enters Senate Race, Becoming Instant Favorite". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). Roll Call. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c "Running for Congress, Rochester draws on experience". The News Journal. May 21, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Duvernay, Adam (November 10, 2016). "Rochester wins Delaware congressional race". The News Journal. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  10. ^ Gaudiano, Nicole (January 3, 2017). "Lisa Blunt Rochester sworn in, makes history". The News Journal. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c Page, Susan (March 16, 2017). "Groundbreaking congresswoman on race, gender and the Joe Biden Hybrid". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 18, 2017. For my swearing-in, I carried this with me. Part of this was to remember how far we've come, that a former slave's great-great-granddaughter is now a congresswoman.
  12. ^ Offredo, Jon; Jonathan, Starkey (October 26, 2015). "Former state labor secretary enters congressional race". The News Journal. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "Former Delaware Labor Secretary Lisa Blunt Rochester wins Democratic primary for U.S. House seat". The Washington Post. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Lisa Blunt Rochester Is Delaware's First Female and the First African American Representative – Rochester Elected to Congress". Cosmopolitan.com. October 17, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2016.
  15. ^ Panetta, Grace. "WHIP COUNT: Here's which members of the House voted for and against impeaching Trump". Business Insider.
  16. ^ Keri Enriquez (January 9, 2021). "Republican members of Congress refuse to wear masks during Capitol insurrection". CNN. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Neiburg, Jeff. "Trump impeachment: Here's what the Delaware delegation had to say". The News Journal.
  18. ^ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  19. ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  20. ^ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 566".
  22. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 38". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "Delaware Rep. Blunt Rochester joins Biden's campaign team: Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester will serve as co-chair for former Vice President Joe Biden's presidential campaign". ABC News. Associated Press. March 6, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  24. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (April 30, 2020). "Biden announces running mate vetting committee". www.cbsnews.com. CBS News. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  25. ^ "Democrats Announce Additional Speakers and Schedule Updates for 2020 Democratic National Convention: "Uniting America"". 2020 Democratic National Convention. August 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  26. ^ "Lisa Blunt Rochester". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  27. ^ "Membership". Congressional Black Caucus. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  28. ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  29. ^ "Lawmakers Launch Caucus to Address Emerging Tech's Impact on Work". Nextgov.com. January 15, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  30. ^ "Members". New Democrat Coalition. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  31. ^ "Rare Disease Congressional Caucus". Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  32. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  33. ^ Broadwater, Luke (June 21, 2023). "Delaware's Only House Member Enters Senate Race, Becoming Instant Favorite". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  34. ^ "Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester to launch run for Delaware Senate seat in June". POLITICO. June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  35. ^ Kilgore, Ed (May 23, 2023). "Lisa Blunt Rochester Is (Very Likely) Headed to the Senate". Intelligencer. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  36. ^ Powers, Kelly. "Lisa Blunt Rochester sweeps US Senate race as the first Black Delawarean to do it". The News Journal.
  37. ^ https://delawaretoday.com/archive/lisa-blunt-rochester-is-ready-to-shake-things-up/
  38. ^ "Charles Rochester Obituary - Wilmington, DE | The News Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  39. ^ "Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 116th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. January 3, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  40. ^ "About Lisa". Lisa Blunt Democrat for Congress. January 10, 2016.
  41. ^ Blunt Rochester, Lisa; Guzman, Ale; Kuguru, Ruth (June 1, 2010). Thrive: Thirty-four Women, Eighteen Countries, One Goal. Grace Publishing Company Ltd. ISBN 978-9881922014.
[edit]
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Wikisource has original works by or about:
Lisa Blunt Rochester
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Delaware's at-large congressional district
2017–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
John Carney
 Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives
from Delaware's at-large congressional district
2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Delaware
(Class 1)
2024 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
191st 		Succeeded by
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