Biography
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Catania is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and Georgetown University Law Center. He was elected to the Council as a Republican in a 1997 special election with 7% voter turnout, but elected to a full term in 1998, and re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Catania lives in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
Catania was the first openly gay member of the D.C. Council and one of a small number of openly gay Republican office-holders. This led to a conflict within his party when President George W. Bush spoke in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Catania opposed the amendment and became a vocal opponent of Bush's 2004 re-election. In response, the District of Columbia Republican Committee decertified him as a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention. Catania announced his endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, one week prior to the convention. In September 2004, Catania left the party and became an independent, citing his displeasure with its direction on urban and social issues. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 as an independent.
Catania currently is the chairperson of the Council's Committee on Health and is a member of the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment, the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation, and the Committee on Finance and Revenue. As one of two openly gay members currently serving on the Council, Catania has played a major role in the city's recognition of same-sex unions and legalization of same-sex marriage.
Read more about this topic: David Catania
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