Why Should Delaware Care?
David Sokola serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore, the top role in Delaware’s upper legislative chamber. In that role, he is able to set the legislative agenda and determine which bills receive hearings in the State Senate.
Delaware Senate President Pro Tempore David Sokola, the top leader in the state’s upper legislative chamber and currently the longest serving lawmaker in the state’s General Assembly, announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election.
During a tearful speech on the Senate floor, the Newark-area Democrat said he will retire after his term ends later this year after rounding out more than 35 years in office.
“It has been the honor of my life,” Sokola said of his tenure serving Delaware’s eighth district. “So it is with a heart full of gratitude when I say this will be my last term in office.”
In an interview with Spotlight Delaware, Sokola said it was “the right time” for him to move on.
“I’m very fond of the people I work with and staff, and it’s just such a great group of people,” Sokola said. “But it’s time for me, and I just feel that it was the right thing to do.”
He pointed to the younger people he sees working with various local Democratic committees throughout his district, saying he did not want to “stand in the way” of the next generation of leaders.
But while this will be Sokola’s last legislative session, the long-serving lawmaker said it’s shaping up to be one of his busiest.
Pointing to the consequential bills he hopes to pass before the end of June, like education funding reforms, changes to the Diamond State Hospital Review Board and utility price regulations, Sokola said his work fighting for his constituents is not over.
“Between now and June 30, I’m leaving it all on the field,” Sokola said. “As leader of this body, it’s my hope, and frankly, my expectation, that you will join me.”
While Sokola acknowledged that bills can sometimes take multiple sessions to pass, he said he is “cautiously optimistic” about passing some kind of education funding bills before the end of June.
“My hope is that we will be able to get something meaningful done,” he said.
Three decades in a changing legislature
First elected in 1990, Sokola has spearheaded several landmark bills throughout his tenure.
From creating a framework for charter schools to operate in the First State to establishing Delaware’s school district choice program, Sokola’s time in the legislature has been marked by sweeping education reforms.
He also has championed LGBTQ+ rights, sponsoring legislation to include sexual orientation in Delaware’s nondiscrimination laws and recognize civil unions, a precursor to same-sex marriage, in the state.
As President Pro Tempore, a position he was first elected to by his peers in 2021, Sokola oversaw the passage of $15 minimum wage, the creation of Delaware’s 12-week paid family and medical leave program, and a package of bills meant protect and expand abortion access in the face of federal rollbacks.
Despite these accomplishments, it is hard for Sokola to pick just one stand out.
“You know, the one that you’re working on is always the hallmark, right?” he said with a laugh.
That current effort, for both Sokola and other state leaders, is taking aim at the affordability crisis plaguing Delawareans.
In his speech on the Senate floor, Sokola pledged to tackle health care and electricity costs over the next five months, outside of just reforming the state’s hospital cost review board.
“We’re going to keep working this session to bring health care costs down any other way we can.” Sokola said. “And you better believe that we’re going to fight like hell to bring more energy to the grid and hold electric utility companies like Delmarva [Power] accountable for these astronomical electric bills that people are receiving just this week.”
While talking about the fight still ahead, Sokola also reflected on just how far he, and the Senate itself, has come in the last 35 years.
Working through eight different governors and six different presidents, Sokola noted the changes he has seen both inside and outside of Legislative Hall.
“By the numbers, we’re a lot younger – no thanks to me,” he said. “I’m proud to say there’s a lot more women, the Black caucus has grown exponentially, and we’ve proven that who you love and how you identify will not prevent you from sitting in one of these chairs.”
Leaders react
Sokola received a standing ovation from his colleagues in the chamber after his announcement. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle were quick to offer their congratulations and kind words.
“You have been absolutely amazing the past five years as Pro Tem, and for a few years prior to that, as a senator,” Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend (D-Newark/Glasgow) said. “I vaguely recall you yelling at me as a freshman, one time. And it’s been fantastic, you’re yelling with me now in the final years, as you prepare to transition.”
In a written statement, Gov. Matt Meyer lauded Sokola’s career, saying the senator “helped shape public service in our state for a generation.”
“As he prepares to close this chapter, [Sokola] leaves more than a record of legislation – he leaves an enduring example of what it means to lead with integrity, humility, and grace.”
Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, a former state senator, said in a statement that Sokola’s tenure is a “shining example of steady leadership in public service.”
“His legacy fighting for good governance, better schools, and safer neighborhoods has made our state stronger,” Gay said.
Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives Melissa Minor-Brown, who was present in the Senate chamber for Sokola’s announcement, issued a joint statement along with other members of the House Democratic leadership.
“Over more than 30 years in the legislature, Sen. Sokola played an incredibly central role in shaping some of Delaware’s most consequential policies, including marriage equality, education reform, and commonsense gun safety laws,” the statement said. “His leadership helped move our state forward and has left a lasting impact on all Delawareans.”
Back on the Senate chamber floor, Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View) remarked on the time he and Sokola have shared in office together.
“Senator Sokola, you’re the only one in this building that saw me come and join the General Assembly,” Hocker said. “You’ve always been there. Every text I’ve written you, every email, you’ve always come back with an answer.”
While the pair may not have always agreed on policy, they never shared a “cross word,” he said.
“Thanks for your friendship,” Hocker added. “Thanks for being there for me as the leader of the minority party. Thank you.”
