By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — Incumbent U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is hoping to fill the shoes of her longtime mentor, retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Carper.

When Sen. Carper announced his retirement on the Wilmington Riverfront in May 2023, he wasted no time in endorsing the congresswoman as his successor.

Rep. Blunt Rochester, a Democrat who was first elected in 2016, is the first woman and African American to represent the First State in Congress, and come Tuesday, she could become just the third Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate – and the fourth to serve.

She would join electees Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Laphonza Butler of California, who was appointed to her post in October 2023.

She is on the ticket alongside Republican Eric Hansen and Independent nominee Dr. Michael Katz.

The candidate – who is running on bringing “Bright Hope,” a nod to the church her grandmother attended for more 70 years – said her experience in the U.S. House of Representatives has prepared her to be an effective senator in Washington’s upper chamber.

“I felt that it was very, very important that I establish relationships with folks across the political spectrum, the ideological spectrum, so that we can get things done,” Rep. Blunt Rochester told the Daily State News.

“As I represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate, I’m going to carry those relationships (from the U.S. House), but also those experiences. In the Senate, I am hopeful to be able to work the same way, in a way that represents Delaware well, that all of Delaware will be represented whether they voted for me or not. I want them to know that I am working for them every day and that Delaware comes first.”

Prior to her time in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Rep. Blunt Rochester served as intern for her potential predecessor, then-U.S. Rep. Carper.

After that role, the congresswoman would become deputy secretary of the state Department of Health and Social Services in 1993 and secretary of the Department of Labor in 1998 under then-Gov. Carper.

Along the campaign trail, U.S. Rep. Blunt Rochester said the top concerns she has heard from voters are affordable housing, education, the climate and ensuring the economy works for all Delawareans.

The congresswoman pointed to her “Delivering for Delaware” tour, where she visited each county and its municipalities to discuss the issues front of mind for residents in their respective communities.

“We’ve been able to work on things that really impact people’s lives; whether they were folks that live in coastal communities and were concerned about climate, or whether they were farmers, or whether they were just in communities where they wanted to make sure that their kids were safe,” Rep. Blunt Rochester said.

“It is just a feeling and an attitude of trying to work with each other, trying to respect each other, trying to see each other and solve some of the biggest problems that we face together… A lot of people are not only happy with the things that we’ve done, they’re excited about what we can do together and how we do it.”

Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Blunt Rochester has touted the campaign tagline of “When Lisa goes to Washington, we all go to Washington.”

It is a slogan that the congresswoman feels embodies her career in public service.

“(People) want to see us come together. How I’ve run this campaign and how I operated as a congressperson in the House, and how I hope to operate in the Senate, really reflects the theme of this campaign, which is bright hope,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Blunt Rochester will be on the ballot alongside Mr. Hansen and Mr. Katz come Election Day on Tuesday.

Department of Elections