Sam Katz (Philadelphia)
| Sam Katz | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | December 28, 1949 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Johns Hopkins University (B.A.) The New School (M.A.) |
| Occupation | Businessman Political candidate |
| Known for | Three-time candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia |
| Political party |
Independent Republican (previously) Democratic (previously) |
| Website | www |
Sam Katz (born December 28, 1949) is an American politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the Republican nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1999 and 2003, nearly winning the election in the overwhelmingly Democratic city. His loss to the controversial John F. Street was covered in the documentary The Shame of a City.
A 1967 graduate of Central High School in Philadelphia (where he was a boisterous and unpopular student, although elected class president), Katz earned a BA in political science from Johns Hopkins University and an MA in urban affairs and policy analysis from The New School for Social Research. He worked for the Greater Philadelphia Partnership as a Research Analyst before co-founding Public Financial Management, Inc., which advises local and state governments on raising capital. After leaving PFM, he worked in a number of business ventures. Between the 1999 and 2003 campaigns for mayor, he was the CEO of Greater Philadelphia First.
Katz began in politics as a Democrat, having worked as a campaign manager for Congressman Bill Gray and Congressman Bill Green. He later worked on Wilson Goode's 1983 campaign for mayor, but broke with Goode in 1987 and supported former mayor Frank Rizzo. He switched to the Republican Party (GOP) in 1990 and then to Independent status in 2015.
Katz made his first run for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1991. He ran third in the Republican primary election behind Rizzo and Philadelphia district attorney Ron Castille. After Rizzo's death in July, Joe Egan replaced him as the nominee, and Katz served as his campaign manager.
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