Wayne D. Fontana (born March 12, 1950) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, representing the 42nd District since 2005.

Background

Fontana was born and raised in the Beechview section of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, and graduated from the

Community College of Allegheny County Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) is a public community college in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. With four campuses and four centers, the college offers associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas. History The Pennsylvania legis ...

in 1971 with an Associate’s Degree in Business. A former truck driver and member of

Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the ...

Locals 249 and 211, he went into real estate and worked for Howard Hanna Real Estate Services as a sales manager and associate broker. He is married to Francine Fontana and has three children.

Political career

Fontana entered politics as a Democratic committee member in Pittsburgh's 19th Ward, and later rose to vice chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee. In 1999, Fontana was elected as an original member of Allegheny County Council (representing District 12) after it was formed under the new home-rule charter. He served as the council's vice president from January 2004 to March 2005. In January 2005, Senator Jack Wagner resigned from the 42nd District of the Pennsylvania State Senate after having been elected

Pennsylvania Auditor General The Pennsylvania auditor general is the chief fiscal officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1850. The current auditor general of Pennsylvania is Republican Timothy DeFoor. History The office of the auditor ...

. Fontana won the May 17, 2005 special election for the remainder of Wagner's term, winning 55% of the vote and defeating his closest opponent, Democrat-turned-Republican state Representative Michael Diven. Fontana was re-elected in 2006, 2010,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

Committees and leadership

Fontana sits on the following committees in the Senate: *Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee *Game & Fisheries Committee *Law & Justice Committee *Rules & Executive Nominations Committee *Urban Affairs & Housing Committee Fontana joined the Senate Democratic leadership as caucus administrator in 2011. He was elected caucus chairman in 2014.

References

External links

Pennsylvania State Senate - Wayne D. Fontana
official PA Senate website
Senator Fontana
official senate website
Fontana for Senate
official campaign website
Project Vote Smart - Senator Wayne Fontana (PA)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - Wayne Fontana
2006
campaign contributions Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators 1950 births Living people Politicians from Pittsburgh 21st-century American politicians {{Pennsylvania-PASenate-stub