Delaware Dem relishes breaking barriers
She’s the first woman and African American to represent the First State in Congress
Lisa Blunt Rochester’s cramped congressional office in a back corner of the Longworth House Office Building doesn’t exactly have a lived-in look. The walls are unadorned, the bookshelves all but empty. She’s still getting unpacked after her swearing-in in January as Delaware’s sole representative in the House.
Delaware may boast that it is the First State — the first state of the original 13 to ratify the Constitution in 1787 — but only last November did it elect a woman to Congress for the first time, the 48th state to do so. (Only Mississippi and Vermont have never elected a woman to Congress.) Blunt Rochester, 55, also became the first African American elected to Congress from the state. She had worked in state government, including as Labor secretary.
Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Race or gender: Which was the greater electoral hurdle for you?
A: I can’t really answer that question because I’m not sure. I just know that at this time in our history, it was such a good feeling for so many people across the state to accomplish this. ... It took all of us to make this happen — 230 years.
Q: Even now, just 20% of Congress is female. Why is increasing that number so hard?
A: It’s hard to run. When I talk to some of my colleagues, some of them had young children and any working parent questions, “Am I doing the right thing?” ... No. 2, it’s a financial decision. For a lot of people, the finances of it, even raising money depends on your circle and your spheres of connections. ... And even for ourselves, sometimes if you’re not given leadership opportunities or other exposure, you’re not prepared for that moment when that moment comes.
And there are other areas where you feel like there’s a double standard.
Q: Did you feel there was a double standard for you?
A: It was six of us in the (Democratic) primary. ... One area where I really did push back was even (to get) media coverage, to say, “I’m here.”
It was grass roots, every day, plug away. Every day, I would get up, and I would talk to people. I would even videotape myself (to see how I was doing).
I was debating lawyers. I had never even been in a debate in my entire life.
Q: In the videotape of your first debate, what did you say — I need to do that differently next time?
A: One of the biggest things was my own confidence in myself and realizing I don’t have to be somebody else. I am who I am. I already brought experiences with me, life experiences, so I don’t have to debate like a lawyer. I just had to be honest, authentic and be myself. Once that sunk in, it shifted everything for me. It allowed me to really see and be with other Delawareans who had gone through so many of the things that I had gone though. ... I would put on my mirror: You can do it!
Q: Were the lawyers surprised when you beat them?
A: One of them told me he very much was.
Q: You have a scarf you carry with you. Tell us about it.
A: My sister has been doing research on our family history, and she actually found this document (now imprinted on the scarf ). It is from Reconstruction. It was the ability for our great-grandfather three times back to be able to vote. But he couldn’t write, so he signed this X.
For my swearing-in, I carried this with me. Part of this was to remember how far we’ve come, that a former slave’s great-greatgranddaughter is now a congresswoman.
Q: What made you think, “I’m going to run for office”?
A: I actually started as an intern in a congressional office back in 1989 for our senator, Tom Carper. I was an intern and then a caseworker and worked my way up to secretary of Labor (in Delaware). ... I ended up getting divorced after a 20-year marriage and then found love again. Quit my job, sold my house, moved to China for a while where my new husband was working.
We came back home to the States, and he ended up rupturing his Achilles tendon, blood clots traveled to his heart and lungs, and he died (in 2014). Unexpected. Fifty-two years old. And that changed everything for me. It changed my outlook on things. It made me question, why am I here? What is my purpose?
It was one day on autopilot going to a supermarket and seeing a dad and three kids in front of me, and the father had to put back a bunch of grapes because it was $9. That moment made me realize how blessed I was, but I saw a lot of other people were just kind of hurting and not living to the potential that we want to as a country. I also heard negativity, a lot of negative discourse in that campaign, that election, and I just felt that’s not us. That’s not America.
I just decided, I’m going to run. Instead of sit back and complain, I’m going to step up.
Q: I realize that Republicans control Congress, but do Democrats have an obligation to reach out and try to engage on an issue like health care?
A: As a freshman class, we have come together in a bipartisan way on many things. During our first orientation, we asked the staff to all leave the room so that we could understand and bond and see where we had common ground ... and we signed a pledge of civility.
I spent my Valentine’s Day with Republicans standing on the floor, giving two-minute speeches about the fact that we might not agree on everything, but let’s agree to be civil. Let’s agree to try to find common ground.
In fact, we’re hosting a bipartisan March Madness game tonight, because we’re trying to find those opportunities to know each other as people. ... We were right there this past year, running for office and hearing from people, the American people, that they just want to see things get done.
Q: Did fellow Delawarean Joe Biden give you any advice?
A: I actually was fortunate to ride the train home with him the day of the swearing-in. It was the best train ride ever.
I was sitting across from the vice president; his wife, Jill, was on the other side of him. Our senators, Chris Coons and Tom Carper, were there, and our governor. ... And I’m doing the Joe Biden Hybrid.
Q: What’s the Joe Biden Hybrid?
A: I’m actually taking the train ( back and forth to Wilmington almost every day), which I do, but I also have a place to lay my head when we have late nights here.