Lisa Blunt Rochester

Candidate name: Lisa Blunt Rochester

Party: Democratic

Age: 60

Hometown: Wilmington

Political experience: As Delaware’s congresswoman, I sit on the Energy & Commerce Committee, am an assistant whip and co-founded the bipartisan Future of Work Caucus, which is focused on preparing our workforce for the future.

Professional experience: Before taking elected office in 2017, I served in the cabinets of two Delaware governors, including as deputy secretary of health and social services, secretary of labor and state personnel director. I also served as the CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

From bringing $100 million home to Delaware for expanded high-speed internet coverage to working across the aisle to strengthen our supply chain and lower prices, and so much more, I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I am eager to continue our work on behalf of our state. I believe I have a record that shows I know how to get things done and the experience necessary to do it. The stakes couldn’t be higher this November, and I would be proud to have your support on Election Day.

What are the top three issues for this office in your view?

A top issue is strengthening our economy. I’ve spent much of this term negotiating legislation that will shore up our supply chain, a key step toward lowering costs. I have also been focused on ensuring that things that can be manufactured in America are manufactured here, so we can create jobs at home. Another issue is standing up for our seniors. We recently passed into law the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which dramatically cuts health care costs for our seniors. I have also been a leader on combating fraud and scams targeting seniors. I would look forward to building on that work. Finally, a third top issue of mine would be protecting the planet by fighting the existential threat of climate change. I was proud to help author many provisions of, and vote for, the Inflation Reduction Act, which made the largest investment to fight climate change in our history. I’ve spoken with mayors of our small towns, farmers throughout the state and families in our front-line communities. None of them needs to be told about the dangers of climate change — they live it every day. That’s why I’ve been proud to work in a bipartisan manner on bills to continue to bring resources to Delaware for climate resiliency and mitigation efforts.

What would be your top priority if elected?

If given the honor of another term representing Delaware in Congress, I will be excited to continue our work on strengthening our economy. As the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Future of Work Caucus, I’m acutely aware of the challenges we’re facing across the country and, particularly, right here in Delaware. I’ve spent time with small-business owners across our state throughout the pandemic — talking about the challenges they face and the resources they need. They are facing a real dilemma — needing new skills from a workforce whose demographics are changing rapidly. We’ve seen in Delaware the challenge of many folks either retiring or reassessing their work situation during the pandemic. It’s why I’ve been so focused on workforce development efforts to ensure that we’re building a qualified and capable workforce for the 21st century. On top of workforce challenges, businesses of every size were facing remarkable supply chain challenges throughout the pandemic and still are in its wake. It’s why I made fixing our broken supply chains and ensuring we’re making things in America one of my top priorities during this past session of Congress. I was proud to serve on what’s called a conference committee with both Democratic and Republican colleagues to author, and ultimately pass, the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act. It’s a bill that will help shore up those supply chains and bolster American manufacturing.

Should Congress have term limits?

In a healthy democracy, each elected official serves as long as they have the support of the electorate. As we only send one representative to the House of Representatives, it is my honor to represent the entire state of Delaware in Congress. I work every day to make good on the trust you have invested in me and to earn your support for another term.

How much influence should parents have in the classroom versus the federal government?

As the mother of two Delaware public school graduates, I know that parents are our kids’ first and most important teachers. They are an invaluable resource and partner for us as policymakers and for our educators, as we prepare our children for the future. In Congress and the federal government, it’s our job to help get our students the resources they need to thrive and lead the way when they graduate. Our kids are the priority for everyone, and all the policy decisions we make should reflect that.