Meet the 3 Black women who could make Senate history next year
Delaware's Lisa Blunt Rochester, California's Barbara Lee and Maryland's Angela Alsobrooks are all top-tier candidates in 2024.
Only two Black women have ever served in the U.S. Senate. However, three Black women have a good chance of getting elected to the chamber next year.
A trio of retirements from long-serving Democrats makes it likely that at least one more Black woman could be joining the Senate. Additionally, Democratic Rep. Colin Allred — a biracial former Obama administration official — is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas, a contest Cruz is currently favored to win.
The only Black female senators have been Carol Moseley Braun, who represented Illinois for one term in the 1990s, and Kamala Harris, who served four years representing California before becoming vice president in 2021. There are only three Black senators total currently in the chamber: Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.
Here’s a look at the three Black women who are leading candidates in 2024 Senate races.
Lisa Blunt Rochester — Delaware
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., announced in May that he would be retiring following the end of his fourth term next year. During that speech, he offered an immediate endorsement for his replacement: Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who worked in Carper’s office during his time in Congress and as governor.
“We love Lisa,” he said. “And I spoke with her this morning and I said, ‘You’ve been patient, waiting for me to get out of the way, and I’m going to get out of the way. I hope you run, and I hope you’ll let me support you in that mission.’ And she said, ‘Yes, I’ll let you support me,’ so I’m going to.”
Blunt Rochester, 61, was first elected as Delaware’s lone representative to the U.S. House in 2016. She’s expected to formally announce her Senate run later this month, and the party is already unifying around her, likely cutting off any serious primary threat. A spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Politico that the Senate majority leader had spoken to Rochester following Carper’s announcement and told her “he believes she could be a really good senator, and he looks forward to sitting down with her soon.”
When Blunt Rochester won the House seat, she became not just the first Black woman but the first woman of any race to represent Delaware in Congress. Delaware has elected Democratic senators comfortably in recent years, with Carper winning his last reelection by 22 points in 2018 and Sen. Chris Coons winning by 45 points two years later.
Another wrinkle of Blunt Rochester potentially winning the Senate seat is it would open her House seat. One of the early favorites for her replacement is Sarah McBride, who became the first openly transgender person elected to a state senate in 2020. If she were to be victorious as Blunt Rochester’s replacement, she would become the first transgender member of Congress in U.S. history.
Barbara Lee — California
With Sen. Dianne Feinstein having announced her retirement, California presents another opportunity for a Black woman to reach the Senate via Rep. Barbara Lee, 76. She has served in Congress since 1998, representing the San Francisco Bay Area, and she was the only member of Congress not to vote for the authorization of military force following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The veteran legislator has racked up a slew of endorsements, ranging from the Congressional Black Caucus to top California officials that include the state attorney general and the mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Despite that backing, Lee faces a very competitive primary against two other popular Democratic congress members. Rep. Adam Schiff, 62, served as the House Intelligence Committee chairman and lead manager of former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Schiff has secured the endorsements of nearly two dozen other California House members (including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) and has a significant fundraising advantage.
Rep. Katie Porter, 49, is also running for the seat, having raised her profile over the last five years via viral videos of her tough questioning in committee hearings.
California’s primary system pits every candidate from every party against each other in the March 5, 2024 primary, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election. The last two Senate races in the state have resulted in two Democrats on the ballot in November, a scenario that’s likely to play out again.
In addition to a potential Lee victory, there is another path to California having another Black woman representing it in the Senate. If the 89-year-old Feinstein — who has been struggling with health issues — is unable to complete her term, Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised to appoint a Black woman as her replacement. Despite the pledge and Lee being the only Black woman in the Senate race, the governor has not issued an endorsement.
Angela Alsobrooks — Maryland
Sen. Ben Cardin’s retirement created another open Senate seat in a state that has seen comfortable Democratic victories in federal races in recent years. Angela Alsobrooks, 52, the executive of Prince George’s County, launched her bid for the position last month, joining a crowded field.
“There aren’t enough people in the US Senate who live like, think like and look like the people they’re supposed to represent,” Alsobrooks wrote on Twitter announcing her run. “My Great-Grandma told me, ‘if you don’t like something, go farther and do better.’”
Alsobrooks has led the state’s second-largest county since 2018, serving as the state’s attorney of Prince George’s County for the eight years prior. Alsobrooks is competing against Rep. David Trone, who was the largest self-funder in congressional history when he won his race in 2018 after a failed bid in 2016. (Trone is co-founder of the Total Wine & More beverage chain.)
Additionally, Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando has entered the race while Rep. Jamie Raskin, a popular figure among Democrats who recently announced he was in remission after treatment for lymphoma, has not yet ruled out a run.
On Thursday, Alsobrooks received an endorsement from Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., a long serving member of Democratic leadership in the House and a powerful figure in the state. She also received an almost immediate endorsement from EMILY’s List, which helps elect Democratic women. If elected, Alsobrooks would become the first Black senator in Maryland history. Last year, the state elected its first Black governor in Democrat Wes Moore.
