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 328
This Act renames the Blackbird State Forest’s Meadows Tract the “Ennis Tract” in honor of Senator Bruce C. Ennis. The Blackbird State Forest’s Meadows Tract covers 456 acres with open meadows, forested trails, and three ponds, and includes one of […]
Senate Bill 263
This act would establish a cultural resources professional incentive program for the purpose of enabling and encouraging academically talented Delawareans to pursue careers as cultural resource professionals. It would also provide incentives for persons already serving in positions with cultural […]
Senate Bill 297 with Senate Amendment 1
This Act adopts the Uniform Law Commission’s Revised Uniform Athlete Agents Act (“Revised Act”), revising Chapter 54, Title 24 of the Delaware Code, which is based on the Uniform Law Commission’s Uniform Athlete Agents Act (“Uniform Act”). The Uniform Law […]