Two Black Women Will Serve Together in the U.S. Senate for the First Time
Originally published by Rachel Treisman for NPR
Two states elected Black women to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday night, making history for themselves and the country.
Maryland elected Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, while Delaware elected Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. Both are Democrats.
Their victories double the number of Black women ever elected to the U.S. Senate, from two to four.
Carol Moseley Braun was the first, in 1992, while Vice President Kamala Harris became the second in 2016.
California Sen. Laphonza Butler is the third Black woman to serve in the chamber, but she was not elected — she was appointed in October 2023 to finish out the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term, which ends in January. She is not seeking reelection.
In other words: Only three Black women have served in the Senate, and never at the same time.
That’s set to change when Alsobrooks, 53, and Blunt Rochester, 62, are sworn in next year.
The two have worked in politics in neighboring states for years — Blunt Rochester is in her fourth term in the U.S. House, while Alsobrooks served as state’s attorney in Prince George’s County before her two terms as executive — but didn’t cross paths until recently.
Politico reports the two became close during their Senate races.
Blunt Rochester told the outlet that she reached out to Alsobrooks after she won her primary to say “I’m looking forward to hopefully being your sister senator-to-be.”