The Hill’s Changemakers: Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, senators-elect

Democratic Sens.-elect Angela Alsobrooks (Md.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.) are set to make history come January as the first pair of Black women to serve alongside each other in the upper chamber.  

The two soon-to-be senators both handily won their elections last month, replacing retiring Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.). But in the process, their wins took on extra meaning as they will each have a perch that most other incoming senators do not.  

“It’s remarkable to think that in two years, America will celebrate its 250th birthday, and in all those years, there have been more than 2,000 people who have served in the United States Senate, and only three have looked like me,” Alsobrooks told supporters on election night in College Park, Md. 

Despite their grand entrances, they both will encounter a difficult reality in the Senate with Republicans running the show, leaving Democrats to do what they can in the minority.  

However, Democratic incumbents believe they can both carve out space to make a difference and push for their priorities. 

“She’s going to be working to deliver results for the people of Maryland,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said of Alsobrooks. “But as you deliver results for the people of Maryland, obviously you can do it in a way that has a national impact.”  

“Having worked with her during COVID and beyond, she’s very focused on putting together a strong argument. … She’ll very diligently lay out her case for whatever issues she wants to pursue,” he continued. “She understands that her election was historic, and that’s a very important part of it, but … her first responsibility is to deliver for the state.”  

As for Blunt Rochester, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) argued she is already doing what she needs to before she is seated in order to operate effectively, and that her past in the House and at the state level will give her an advantage. 

“I think she’ll contribute at a high level quickly,” Coons said.  

They will be the third and fourth Black women elected to the Senate — and both have high expectations among their soon-to-be colleagues. 

“They’re going to be a dynamic duo,” Van Hollen added.