David P. Sokola
President Pro Tempore
District 8
Sen. Dave Sokola represents the Eighth Senate District, which includes Newark, Pike Creek and North Star.
A graduate of Mount Pleasant High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Delaware. After brief stints as a steelworker and a teacher, Sokola took a job as a lab technician at the DuPont Experimental Station, where he worked for 34 years before retiring in 2015. He now dedicates himself full-time to his role in the Senate and enjoys teaching indoor cycling classes at the Hockessin Athletic Club and raising bees.
Sokola was first elected to the state Senate in 1990. He is best known for his work improving Delaware’s education system, passing strong environmental laws and working to keep a balanced state budget. He also was a Senate prime sponsor of legislation that created graduated driver’s licenses and marriage equality in Delaware, along with the measure that established the state’s public benefit corporation law.
Sen. Sokola was first chosen by his peers to serve as President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 2021.
He currently serves as chair of the Senate Executive Committee and the Joint Legislative Council Committee. He also serves as vice chair of the Senate Rules & Ethics Committee, and a member of the Senate Corrections & Public Safety, Education and Veterans Affairs committees.
In addition, Sen. Sokola serves on the Delaware Foundation for Science, Math & Technology Education, and is a member of the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council, a panel of state officials and economists who study the state’s fiscal outlook and project anticipated revenues.
He previously served on numerous state commissions and task forces, including the School District Consolidation Task Force, the Advance Educator Compensation and Careers Committee, the Enrollment Preference Task Force, the Truancy Task Force and the board of the Diamond State Port Corporation.
He and his wife Kathy live outside Newark. They have one daughter, Megan, and the best dog in the world, Cayce.
Family
Spouse: Kathy; Daughter: Megan
Education
Mount Pleasant High School, 1973; Bachelor’s degree, Physical Education, University of Delaware, 1977
Occupation
Retired Senior Lab Technician, DuPont Experimental Station; Fitness Instructor, Hockessin Athletic Club
Legislative Service:
Senate, 1990 to present; President Pro Tempore, 2020 to present
Committees:
- Executive, Chair
- Legislative Council, Chair
- Rules & Ethics, Vice-Chair
- Corrections & Public Safety, Member
- Education, Member
- Veterans Affairs, Member
Legislative Highlights
Senate Bill 55
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola passed legislation to help better protect the health and safety of students at colleges and universities throughout the First State. Passed unanimously by the Senate and the House, Senate Bill 55 allowed Delaware’s institutions […]
Senate Bill 181 (S)
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola passed legislation that allowed police officers in the Town of Delmar to unionize – resolving a multi-layered jurisdictional dispute that had effectively blocked their ability to form a collective bargaining unit for decades. Under […]
Senate Bill 6 (S)
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola successfully enacted common-sense gun safety legislation that limited the firepower capabilities of deadly weapons in the First State. Senate Bill 6 (S) outlawed the sale of large-capacity magazines capable of holding more than 17 […]
Senate Bill 8
Following his successful passage of a ban on high-capacity magazines, Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola successfully passed legislation to further limit the destructive power of people seeking to carry out mass shootings. Passed with bipartisan support, Senate Bill 8 […]
