Nov 5, 2024 9:07 PM EDT

Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester makes Senate history

Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who’s currently serving in the House of Representatives for her fourth term, will become Delaware’s first woman and first Black person to represent the state in the Senate.

With the battle for control of Congress in both chambers a toss-up, Rochester’s historic Senate victory over her Republican and independent opponents in the race give Democrats an early win on election night.

Of the 57 Black women who have served in Congress, only two have won seats in the Senate. Vice President Kamala Harris, who’s aiming to make presidential history, became a California senator in 2017. Carol Moseley Braun, a Democrat in Illinois, was the first, elected to the Senate in 1992.