Wilmington, Del. —  In a recent The 19th feature, Lisa Blunt Rochester reflects on her Senate campaign as much more than making history — it’s about making a real difference in people’s lives. She also emphasizes the importance of her sisterhood of childhood best friends and her work to strengthen the pipeline for other political candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.

You can read the full article here.

On the importance of “sister circle,” the LYLAS:

• Blunt Rochester is a strong believer in the power of sisterhoods. Her closest group of friends is made up of 14 Black women from five families who call themselves the LYLAS (Love You Like a Sister) and have known one another since elementary school. They have seen each other through weddings, the birth of children, divorces, illnesses and deaths.
• “I’m so blessed to be a part of it,” Carla Broadway, one of the LYLAS members, said recently. “I hope that women around the country understand and learn how to support each other and how to lift each other out, how to not compete with each other. We have everyone from a stay-at-home mom all the way up to a congresswoman and future senator in our midst, and there’s no competition. There is no envy. We love each other.” 
• Blunt Rochester explained that having meaningful personal and professional connections has helped her survive the most difficult moments of life. When she separated from her first husband, she packed up her two teen children and went to live at one of the LYLAS’ homes temporarily. Ten years ago, when her second husband, Charles Rochester, suddenly died from blood clots, members of the LYLAS cooked her meals and helped to keep her home clean while she grieved. 

On how her run for Senate is about more than just making history — it’s about making a difference in people’s lives:

• Blunt Rochester has previously said she’s “not running to make history,” but that she’s running to make a difference. In conversations with The 19th, she focused on the concerns facing voters in Delaware, including job security, health care costs or affordable housing. Delaware has residents in urban, suburban, coastal and rural areas, she said, and she takes the role of representing all people in the state very seriously, and working across the aisle to get things done.
• It was clear, though, that she registered the weight of the moment for those who are historically underrepresented in higher office and how she might help shape the future for women and women of color in particular. 
• “The higher you go, the higher the stakes,” she said. “I know that there is work that has to be done to get there. I know that you can’t take anybody or any vote for granted.”

On the challenges Black women candidates face running for office:

• Despite all the things working in her favor, Blunt Rochester is not ready to celebrate just yet. To be a history-making Black woman in 2024 is to be at once acutely aware of the country’s progress, its unfinished work and the harsh realities that threaten Black women’s representation in government. 
• “I still, as a Black woman, can look at how much a donor gives me and how much they give my White counterpart and see a disparity. I still deal with the issues of people’s expectations, and that’s good expectations and bad expectations,” Blunt Rochester told The 19th. “I also think that there’s a level for me of responsibility. I care about this pipeline. Maybe other folks don’t have to think that way, but I do.” 

On strengthening the pipeline for other women and underrepresented groups to serve in public office:

• She is also thinking about what this pathway looks for people who have historically been underrepresented and offers mentoring to women interested in running for office. She has also sponsored several people to attend candidate boot camps that offer training on running for office.
• “I feel a deep responsibility to bridge the gap and build a pipeline to other women and underrepresented groups of people,” Blunt Rochester said. “For me, it’s about providing tangible, meaningful support to the next generation of leaders, because it’s not enough to be a ‘first,’ it’s about giving back.”