Andrea Catsimatidis
Chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican Party
Assumed office
September 2017
Preceded byAdele Malpass[1]
Personal details
Born1989 or 1990 (age 33–34)[2]
New York City, U.S.
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2014)​
RelativesJohn Catsimatidis (father)
Margo Vondersaar Catsimatidis (mother)
John Catsimatidis Jr. (brother)
EducationNew York University (BS)

Andrea Catsimatidis (born 1989 or 1990) has been the chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican Party since 2017. A New York native and socialite,[3] she is the daughter of John Catsimatidis.[4]

Early life and education

Catsimatidis is the daughter of John Catsimatidis and his second wife, Margo Vondersaar, whom he married in October 1988. She has a younger brother; John Catsimatidis Jr.[5][6] She studied business at New York University, where she chaired the College Republicans. She graduated with a BS in Business Management and double minors in Political Science and Communications.

Career

Catsimatidis is an executive of the Red Apple Group and is a principal of Red Apple Real Estate, Vice President of First Federal Guarantee Insurance Company, and managing director of Gristedes supermarkets. Her father owns all three companies.

Politics

She was elected chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican party in 2017, a position she has held since.[7][8] In January 2019, she appeared on CNN to discuss the government shutdown.[3] In March 2019, the New York Post's Jon Levine called her a "rising GOP star".[9] After Joe Biden defeated then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Catsimatidis made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. In November 2020, she said, "Is Joe Biden planning a coup by trying to create his own parallel government?" In February 2021 Catsimatidis tweeted "Corporate America helped rig the election.”[10] Shortly after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Catsimatidis promoted debunked claims that antifa activists were among the rioters; she emphasized that she aimed to ensure all the evidence was considered so that attackers could be brought to justice.[11][12]

Personal life

In 2011, Catsimatidis married Christopher Nixon Cox, Richard Nixon's grandson, at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, "before a church packed with family members and political powerhouses," including Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Rudolph Giuliani, Charles Schumer, Ray Kelly, and Robert M. Morgenthau.[2] An elaborate black-tie wedding reception for 700 guests was held at the Waldorf-Astoria.[2] Her father said that he spent "in excess of $1 million" on the wedding.[5]

She and Cox divorced in 2014.[9][13]

References

  1. ^ Goodwin, Michael (May 13, 2015). "Safety stats mean nothing if people don't actually feel safe". New York Post.
  2. ^ a b c Buckley, Cara (June 16, 2011). "Andrea Catsimatidis and Christopher Cox". The New York Times.
  3. ^ a b Rogers, Taylor Nicole (July 4, 2018). "Meet the self-proclaimed 'billionaire heiress,' bikini enthusiast, and GOP crusader whose dad spied on her date using a controversial facial-recognition app". Business Insider. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "The Tackiest Heiress In New York Is Also The Face Of The Manhattan Republican Party". Guest of a Guest. August 1, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Elkies, Lauren (August 1, 2011). "John Catsimatidis". The Real Deal. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011.
  6. ^ "John Catsimatidis Wed To Margo Vondersaar". The New York Times. October 3, 1988.
  7. ^ "Andrea Catsimatidis Re-Elected Chairwoman of the Manhattan GOP". The National Herald. September 20, 2019. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Pullman, Laura (August 11, 2019). "Andrea Catsimatidis will drum up support in a bikini, Mr President, with a Maga hat to match". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Nuzzi, Olivia (July 23, 2019). "A Lobster Dinner With the 'Billionaire Heiress' Chair of the Manhattan GOP". Intelligencer. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  10. ^ "Some local GOP leaders fire up base with conspiracies, lies". AP NEWS. April 20, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  11. ^ Ngo, Emily (January 9, 2021). "NYC Republicans Confront Political Fallout After U.S. Capitol Siege". www.ny1.com. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  12. ^ Duggan, Kevin (January 7, 2021). "NYC Republicans make general violence condemnations in wake of Trump mob's failed Capitol coup | amNewYork". AM New York Metro. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  13. ^ Levine, Jon (July 6, 2019). "How GOP crusader Andrea Catsimatidis is tackling the risky business of NY politics". New York Post. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
Categories