Background
Sickles, Mark D. was born on February 18, 1957 in Arlington, Virginia, United States.
Sickles, Mark D. was born on February 18, 1957 in Arlington, Virginia, United States.
Bachelor of Science in Forest Management, Clemson University, South Carolina, 1981. Master of Science in Industrial Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1984. Master of Science in Technology and Science Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1986.
He has served in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2004, representing the 43rd district in the Fairfax County suburbs of Washington, District of Columbia He announced in a Washington Post opinion piece that he is gay. Sickles has served on the House committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources (since 2010), Commerce and Labor (2006–2009), Health, Welfare and Institutions (since 2004) and Privileges and Elections (since 2004). Sickles was born in Arlington, Virginia.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management from Clemson University in 1981, a Master of Science in industrial management from Georgia Technical in 1984, and a second Master of Surgery in Technology and Science Policy two years later.
Sickles is a fellow with the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. In 2001, Sickles ran for the House and lost by 313 votes to freshman Republican Tom Bolvin, who had defeated 11-term Democrat Gladys Keating two years earlier.
Sickles had been a volunteer staffer for Keating previously. Sickles defeated Bolvin in a 2003 rematch, 53.8%-46.1%.
Sickles is a member of the Democratic Party. He has been the House minority caucus chair since 2012. This makes him the 2nd openly gay member of the Virginia General Assembly behind Senator Adam Ebbin.