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  • Democrat

    Mark Sickles

  • This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Mark Sickles is facing a challenge from Republican Richard Mereu in the general election for Virginia’s new 17th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Sickles was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2003.
    The son of a longtime federal worker, incumbent Delegate Mark Sickles was born in Arlington and has represented the 43rd District since 2004. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and two master’s degrees from Georgia Tech. Delegate Sickles has worked in government relations for 27 years, specializing in congressional affairs. Del. Sickles is an openly gay member of the House and currently lives in Franconia.

    Del. Sickles supports policies that make Virginia welcoming and inclusive for all of its residents and voted for the 2020 Virginia Values Act, which made Virginia the first state in the South to prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community in housing, employment, public spaces, and credit applications. He carried legislation to expand the Virginia Values Act to protect people with disabilities. He also voted to repeal Virginia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage and advocated for efforts to help workers find accountability when experiencing workplace harassment and sexual harassment.

    Del. Sickles supports making healthcare affordable and accessible to all Virginians and voted to expand Medicaid in 2018. He successfully sponsored legislation to establish a state-run health insurance marketplace, which helps uninsured or underinsured residents who aren’t covered by an employer-provided health plan to get affordable coverage. He voted to cap the price of insulin at $50 and fought to make abortion coverage available on health insurance plans offered on the state marketplace.

    Del. Sickles wants to make the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding voter access to the ballot box. In 2020, he voted to extend early voting in Virginia and establish no-excuse absentee voting. He voted to keep people safe and healthy at the polls during the pandemic by removing the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots during an emergency and establishing dropbox voting locations in localities. He also supported the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which prohibits voter discrimination at the polls.

    Del. Sickles is an advocate for criminal justice reform. In 2021, he voted to abolish the death penalty in Virginia, making it the first state in the South to do so. The delegate supported a bill that authorizes the expungement of criminal records for certain convictions. Del. Sickles voted to legalize marijuana and wants to hold police accountable for the violence they inflict on communities by banning qualified immunity, a practice that shields police officers from civil lawsuits for violating people’s civil rights.

    Del. Sickles is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Richard Mereu though no information could be found on his politics.

    Due to his support of Virginia’s LGBTQ community, access to affordable healthcare, criminal justice reform, and voting access, Delegate Mark Sickles is the most progressive choice in this race.
  • Virginia’s new 17th District in the House of Delegates encompasses parts of Fairfax County. With almost 60,000 registered voters, this district leans strongly Democratic.
    This election will be held on November 7, 2023. Incumbent Democratic Delegate Mark Sickles is facing a challenge from Republican Richard Mereu in the general election for Virginia’s new 17th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Sickles was first elected to the House of Delegates in 2003.
    The son of a longtime federal worker, incumbent Delegate Mark Sickles was born in Arlington and has represented the 43rd District since 2004. From 2011 to 2014, he served as the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and two master’s degrees from Georgia Tech. Delegate Sickles has worked in government relations for 27 years, specializing in congressional affairs. Del. Sickles is an openly gay member of the House and currently lives in Franconia.

    Del. Sickles supports policies that make Virginia welcoming and inclusive for all of its residents and voted for the 2020 Virginia Values Act, which made Virginia the first state in the South to prohibit discrimination against the LGBTQ community in housing, employment, public spaces, and credit applications. He carried legislation to expand the Virginia Values Act to protect people with disabilities. He also voted to repeal Virginia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage and advocated for efforts to help workers find accountability when experiencing workplace harassment and sexual harassment.

    Del. Sickles supports making healthcare affordable and accessible to all Virginians and voted to expand Medicaid in 2018. He successfully sponsored legislation to establish a state-run health insurance marketplace, which helps uninsured or underinsured residents who aren’t covered by an employer-provided health plan to get affordable coverage. He voted to cap the price of insulin at $50 and fought to make abortion coverage available on health insurance plans offered on the state marketplace.

    Del. Sickles wants to make the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding voter access to the ballot box. In 2020, he voted to extend early voting in Virginia and establish no-excuse absentee voting. He voted to keep people safe and healthy at the polls during the pandemic by removing the requirement for a witness signature on absentee ballots during an emergency and establishing dropbox voting locations in localities. He also supported the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which prohibits voter discrimination at the polls.

    Del. Sickles is an advocate for criminal justice reform. In 2021, he voted to abolish the death penalty in Virginia, making it the first state in the South to do so. The delegate supported a bill that authorizes the expungement of criminal records for certain convictions. Del. Sickles voted to legalize marijuana and wants to hold police accountable for the violence they inflict on communities by banning qualified immunity, a practice that shields police officers from civil lawsuits for violating people’s civil rights.

    Del. Sickles is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Richard Mereu though no information could be found on his politics.

    Due to his support of Virginia’s LGBTQ community, access to affordable healthcare, criminal justice reform, and voting access, Delegate Mark Sickles is the most progressive choice in this race.