DNC Convention speakers: What to know about Lisa Blunt Rochester

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The second day of the Democratic National Convention will feature big-name Democrats delivering their support for presumptive nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., including Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who represents Biden's home state of Delaware.

The two-term congresswoman was elected to the House in 2016, making her the first African-American from the state to serve in Congress. Biden called her election a "big deal" after she emerged from a crowded Democratic primary.

She broke other barriers, including being the first African-American woman to serve as Delaware's secretary of labor and its first Black deputy secretary of health and social services.

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Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., joins fellow Democrats from the House and Senate to announce new legislation to end excessive use of force by police and make it easier to identify, track, and prosecute police misconduct at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. She will be speaking at the convention on Tueday.  (Getty)

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During a reception after being sworn into Congress, Biden stopped by to congratulate Blunt Rochester, 58, on her victory. She later recalled a phone call with him when she was at the hospital with her late husband.

“He talked about things like this – service – giving you that purpose again,” she said of their conversation, according to Delaware Online. “That’s what I was thinking of when he was standing there talking.”

During the veepstakes, Blunt Rochester served on the committee that spent months vetting possible running mates to join Biden's ticket. However, she was not floated as a possible vice presidential pick.

She first began a career as a caseworker before embarking in politics as an intern for Sen.Tom Carper, D-Del., when he served in the House in the 1980s. Blunt Rochester later worked for Carper when he was elected governor.

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Since being elected to office, Blunt Rochester has advocated for strengthening the healthcare system and, most recently, for increased funding and focus on child abuse prevention during the coronavirus pandemic, in which millions have been forced to spend much of their time indoors.