BY CALIFORNIA BLACK MEDIA
There is one African American woman currently serving in the California State Senate, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Ladera Heights). It’s the same in the U.S. Senate.
In October 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler (D–Calif.) to complete the term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein after she passed away in September 2023. Butler will likely be replaced in January by Adam Schiff, who is projected to win the seat after the Nov. 5 general election. Now, two more Black women are on pace to become California state senators.
In the U.S. Senate, two Black women have already won seats. Lisa Blunt-Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland will be going to Capitol Hill in January after winning their respective U.S. Senate races.
It will be the first time in U.S. history that two Black women have served in the Senate at the same time.
“It is 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,” said Alsobrooks in her victory speech on Nov. 5.
“So, I want to salute all of those who came before me, who made it possible for me to stand on this stage tonight, whose sacrifice and stories I will continue to carry with me,” added Alsobrooks.
In Southern California, as of Nov. 9, Laura Richardson leads Michelle Chambers with 107,255 votes to 103,638 votes in Senate District 35. Both women are Democrats. The 35th Senate District encompasses an area in south Los Angeles County, including parts of Inglewood, Compton, San Pedro, Hawthorne and Carson.
That seat is currently held by California Legislative Black Caucus vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D–Inglewood), who terms out in December and is running for lieutenant governor in 2026.
Richardson served in the State Assembly in 2006–2007 before she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served from 2007 to 2013.
“As a dedicated housing advocate for the past decade, I stand unwavering in my commitment to ending homelessness,” Richardson stated on her campaign website. “With a profound understanding of the pressing issues at hand, my top priority is to spearhead the creation of more affordable housing options.”
Chambers is a former Compton City Council member who has worked for the state’s Attorney General’s office.
“Our campaign is about fighting for the needs of working families,” Chambers posted on the social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, on Oct. 11. “I’ll always stand up for our #SD35 communities—not special interests.”
In San Diego, Assembly Member Akilah Weber (D–La Mesa) is leading her Republican opponent, Bob Devine, in the race for the 39th Senate District seat. Weber has 219,465 votes (62.4%) so far to Devine’s 132,044 (37.6%).
Weber and Devine are vying for a seat that is currently held by Sen. Toni Atkins (D–San Diego), who will be running for governor in 2026.
“I am extremely humbled and incredibly grateful for the support you’ve shown me throughout the election,” Weber posted Nov. 6 on X. “San Diego has just made history by electing the first African American woman to the CA State Senate south of Los Angeles. Thank you for believing in me. Now let’s get to work.”
Eight years ago, Blunt-Rochester first made history in Congress as the first Black person and woman elected to represent Delaware. Alsobrooks was a Maryland state’s attorney and a county executive in Prince Georges County before running for the Senate.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black person elected as U.S. Senator from California, served from 2016 to 2020. Blunt-Rochester pointed out that Kamala Harris had only four months to launch her presidential campaign, highlighting the significant challenge of such a tight timeline.
“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for stepping up to run when our country needed her leadership, tenacity and commitment to serve the American people,” Blunt-Rochester stated. “Because of the trails she blazed, the lives she touched, the communities she fought for, the stories she uplifted, we are better.”