Inside sources at Legislative Hall are telling me Delaware Senator David Sokola is very concerned about his opponent in the General Election for his Senate Seat next November. As one legislator told me, he is very scared. Some legislators in the Democrat party are actually hoping he is unseated. Many blame him for the charter school woes in Delaware based on the very legislation he wrote and sponsored. As well, his push for Common Core and standardized testing has caused a great deal amount of stress in Legislative Hall. Many feel more important things could have been done but a lot of time was wasted based on legislation he created. Others feel he is too biased towards the charter schools which has angered many on the Right and Left.
Last week, Republican Meredith Chapman announced she was running for the Senate 8th District. A young woman in her thirties, she has a very extensive resume. Her big draw will be the University of Delaware which is in the center of the 8th District. Despite the discriminatory comments from the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club over on Kilroy’s Delaware, a lot of folks in Delaware feel Chapman would be a breath of fresh air in the Senate.
As the 148th General Assembly winds down in the next couple months, a lot of legislation will be brought up for a vote. Education legislation in the Senate that is up for a full Senate vote gets put on the agenda by the Chair of the Senate Education Committee which just so happens to be Sokola. Will he allow legislation he may not agree with to come up for a vote in order to gain a modicum of respect back from his district? Or will he stay the course and stick with what Governor Markell wants? Time will tell…