Of the 2,003 senators inaugurated since 1789, just three have been Black women. And only two of them got there by winning elections, with Sen. Laphonza Butler landing a temporary appointment last month following the death of California’s Dianne Feinstein.

This cycle, Democratic leaders are making a concerted push to improve that statistic. In solidly blue Delaware, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester has all but cleared the field to replace outgoing Sen. Tom Carper, effectively guaranteeing the party at least one Black woman in their ranks come 2025. Now, all eyes are on Maryland, where there is considerable optimism that Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks could make history with Blunt Rochester as the first two Black women to serve simultaneously in the upper chamber.

Alsobrooks has a historic resume and enough notable endorsements to span the length of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. But most Democratic operatives aren’t rushing to label the 52-year-old the “frontrunner” in the state’s open primary — at least, not while her main rival continues to dominate in the dollar department.

With $9.8 million of personal wealth

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