Andrea Catsimatidis

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Andrea Catsimatidis
Chair of the Manhattan Republican Party
Assumed office
2017
Personal details
BornNew York City, U.S.
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2014)​
RelativesJohn Catsimatidis (father)
John Catsimatidis Jr. (brother)
EducationNew York University (BS)

Andrea Catsimatidis has been the chair of the Manhattan Republican Party since 2017. A New York native and socialite,[1] she is the daughter of John Catsimatidis.[2]

Early life and education[]

Catsimatidis is the oldest of two children born to her father and her father's second wife, Margo Vondersaar, whom he married in October 1988.[3][4] 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 , and managing director of Gristedes supermarkets. All three companies are owned by her father.

Politics[]

She was elected chair of the Manhattan Republican party in 2017, a position she has held since.[5][6] In January 2019, she appeared on CNN to discuss the government shutdown.[1] In March 2019, the New York Post's Jon Levine called her a "rising GOP star".[7] 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.”[8] Shortly after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Catsimatidis promoted debunked claims that Antifa activists were among the rioters; she emphasized that her aim was to ensure all the evidence was considered, so attackers could be brought to justice.[9][10]

Personal[]

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.[11][12] An elaborate black-tie wedding reception for 700 guests was held at the Waldorf-Astoria.[11][12] Her father said that he spent "in excess of $1 million" on the wedding.[3]

Senator John McCain of Arizona was not invited, although Cox had worked on his 2008 presidential campaign, because McCain did not endorse Cox when Cox later ran (unsuccessfully) for Congress. Catsimatidis told the New York Post that "I thought that was low. I was just disgusted."[12]

She and Cox divorced in 2014.[7][13]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Rogers, Taylor Nicole. "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 2020-03-11.
  2. ^ "The Tackiest Heiress In New York Is Also The Face Of The Manhattan Republican Party". Guest of a Guest. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  3. ^ a b Elkies, Lauren (August 1, 2011). "John Catsimatidis". The Real Deal.
  4. ^ John Catsimatidis Wed To Margo Vondersaar (October 3, 1988), New York Times.
  5. ^ "Andrea Catsimatidis Re-Elected Chairwoman of the Manhattan GOP". The National Herald. March 11, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ York, Laura Pullman, New (2019-08-11). "Andrea Catsimatidis will drum up support in a bikini, Mr President, with a Maga hat to match". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  7. ^ a b Nuzzi, Olivia (2019-07-23). "A Lobster Dinner With the 'Billionaire Heiress' Chair of the Manhattan GOP". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  8. ^ "Some local GOP leaders fire up base with conspiracies, lies". AP NEWS. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  9. ^ Ngo, Emily (9 January 2021). "NYC Republicans Confront Political Fallout After U.S. Capitol Siege". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Duggan, Kevin (7 January 2021). "NYC Republicans make general violence condemnations in wake of Trump mob's failed Capitol coup | amNewYork". AM New York Metro. Retrieved 2021-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b Cara Buckley, Andrea Catsimatidis and Christopher Cox (June 16, 2011), New York Times.
  12. ^ a b c Super wedding snubs McCain (May 23, 2011), New York Post.
  13. ^ Levine, Jon (2019-07-06). "How GOP crusader Andrea Catsimatidis is tackling the risky business of NY politics". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
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