Allegheny County Council members move to oust Patrick Catena as president

Nearly half of Allegheny County Council signed on to a motion to remove Pat Catena as council president as Catena faces growing criticism over mailers his state House campaign sent out last week.

The move comes less than a week before Catena faces voters in the Democratic primary for the state House seat and one day after a group of LGBTQ advocates and county residents called for him to step down over the mailer claiming his opponent is supported by an "extreme left group" that advocates for transgender athletes.

Catena apologized for the mailer but refused to step down.

County Councilman Jordan Botta announced early Wednesday morning that he submitted a motion expressing no confidence in Catena because of the campaign material, which many saw as an attack on the transgender community.

"As the only LGBTQ member of County Council, I believe it is important to speak up when members of our community feel targeted or marginalized," Botta said. "This is ultimately about leadership, tone, and ensuring every resident of Allegheny County feels respected by their government."

Six more council members - Dan Gryzbek, Bethany Hallam, Paul Klein, Kathleen Madonna-Emmerlin, Alex Rose, and Lissa Geiger Shulman - have since signed on to support Botta's motion, which would remove Catena as president and set up a vote to replace him.

Attendees hold signs that call for the resignation of Allegheny County Council president Patrick Catena during a council meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Giuseppe LoPiccolo/Post-Gazette)

Catena has served as council president since 2020.

"Attacks on marginalized groups of people in service of one's own political advancement are not acceptable," they wrote. "These actions undermine faith in County Council as a governing body, and its ability to represent and enact policy on behalf of every member of the communities that make up our County."

After Tuesday's contentious meeting in council chambers, Catena said he had no intention of resigning or pulling out of the state House race, although he expressed regret for allowing the mailer to go out after he reviewed it.

"I'm sorry I caused so much hurt and pain, and I take responsibility for those actions, and I need to do some soul-searching over the next two weeks," he said.

The motion would not remove Catena from County Council, but instead would strip him of the title of president.

Members of the Allegheny County Council participate in a meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Giuseppe LoPiccolo/Post-Gazette)

There is no section of the county charter that outlines whether a council president can be removed from the role, although County Council rules state that the president serves "at the pleasure of the body."

Because there are no rules outlining how many votes would be required for Catena's removal as president, the County Council members who signed onto the measure could argue they need only a simple majority, meaning the group that penned Thursday's joint letter would only need one more vote to remove Catena from his seat.

The council members said in their statement they would support the vote on Botta's motion and hold a new election for council president at their next meeting on May 26.

"We had hoped that President Catena would have taken responsibility for himself and stepped down, but this has so far not happened," they wrote. "We will take action instead."

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM.