Jake Knotts
{{short description|American politician}}
{{redirect|John Knotts|people with similar names|John Knott (disambiguation){{!}}John Knott}}
{{use American English|date=January 2020}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = John M. Knotts, Jr.
| image name =
| state_senate = South Carolina
| state = South Carolina
| district = 23rd
| term_start = 2002
| term_end = 2012
| preceded = Joe Wilson
| succeeded = Katrina Shealy
| state_house2 = South Carolina
| state2 = South Carolina
| district2 = 88th
| term_start2 = 1994
| term_end2 = 2002
| preceded2 = C. Lenoir Sturkie
| succeeded2 = Mac Toole
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|12|12}}
| birth_place = West Columbia, South Carolina
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Betty Lee
| profession = law enforcement
| religion =
| party = Republican
}}
John M. "Jake" Knotts, Jr. (born December 12, 1944) is a former Republican member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 23rd District from 2002 to 2012. Previously he was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 through 2002.
Early life
Knotts was born in December 1944 in West Columbia, South Carolina, the son of John Milton, Sr. and Dovereen Jessie (Williams) Knotts.{{cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/members/bios/1024999877.html|title=Senator John M. "Jake" Knotts, Jr.|accessdate=June 10, 2010|publisher=South Carolina State Legislature|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621145602/http://www.scstatehouse.gov/members/bios/1024999877.html|archive-date=June 21, 2010|url-status=dead}} He was the child of a poverty-stricken family and raised as Jakie Webster until he was told his real name at age 12.[http://blogs.thestate.com/bradwarthensblog/2008/05/how-jake-became.html "How Jake became Jake: Knotts on growing up poor in Columbia."] Interview with Jake Knotts. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2009. Knotts served in the Navy.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bcgoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WQYGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2637,633133&dq=jake-knotts&hl=en Definition of a hard-nose]. The Item via Google News Archive. 6 July 1996. Following his service, Knotts worked as a police officer for the Columbia Police Department, a detective, and an assistant coroner before entering politics. Knotts married Betty Lee in 1965,{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=8909|title=Senator John Milton 'Jake' Knotts, Jr. (SC)|accessdate=June 10, 2010|publisher=Project Vote Smart}} with whom he has two children, Michelle Nicole and Tara Marie.
Political career
Knotts was a prominent critic of governor and fellow Republican Mark Sanford and was a leading critic of the governor following his disappearance and admission of an extramarital affair.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090628024124/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/26/republican-calls-for-investigations-into-sanford/ "Republican calls for investigations into Sanford."] CNN Political Ticker. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.Yvonne Wenger. [http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/jun/26/knotts_publicly_admonishes_sanford_will_not_call_h/ "Knotts admonishes Sanford but will not call for his resignation."] Post and Courier. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
Knotts was defeated for re-election in the 2012 general election by Katrina Shealy, a Republican petition candidate who he had defeated in the 2008 Republican primary.
=Committee assignments=
Knotts served on the following committees in the state senate:
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Fish, Game and Forestry
- General
- Invitations (Chairman)
- Judiciary
- Rules
Controversies
="Raghead" comment=
On June 3, 2010, Knotts used the word "raghead" to describe President Barack Obama and Republican gubernatorial candidate (and fellow Lexington County resident) Nikki Haley while appearing on a live broadcast of Pub Politics. Several people present at the political talk show's broadcast confirmed Knotts said "We already got one raghead in the White House, we don’t need a raghead in the governor's mansion."O'Connor, John., Smith, Gina. [http://www.thestate.com/2010/06/03/1315978/knotts-uses-slur-to-describe-haley.html Knotts' slur stirs the Haley storm.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141227062311/http://www.thestate.com/2010/06/03/1315978/knotts-uses-slur-to-describe-haley.html |date=2014-12-27 }} The State. June 3, 2010. Haley was raised as a Sikh and later converted to Christianity. Haley has stated she attends services of both faiths.
Other South Carolina Republicans were quick to distance themselves from Knotts and called for an apology.Smith, Ben. [http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0610/SC_Republicans_condemn_raghead_comment.html S.C. Republicans condemn 'raghead' comment.] Politico. June 3, 2010. Knotts later issued a statement, saying, "Since my intended humorous context was lost in translation, I apologize. I still believe Ms Haley is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I apologize to both for an unintended slur."[https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100604/ts_alt_afp/uspoliticsindiaracism_20100604193925 US lawmaker under fire over racist slur of Indian-American]. Associated Press. Yahoo! News. June 4, 2010. Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson called Knotts "an embarrassment to our state and to the Republican Party."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9111058|title=SC state senator refers to candidate as 'raghead'|date=June 4, 2010|accessdate=June 5, 2010|work=The Guardian|first=Page|last=Ivey}}
After Knotts' controversial remarks, former Lexington County Republican Party chairwoman Katrina Shealy announced a primary candidacy to challenge Jake Knotts in 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/jun/04/shealy-says-she-will-challenge-knotts-2012-ar-306573/|title=Shealy Says She Will Challenge Knotts In 2012|date=June 4, 2010|accessdate=June 5, 2010|publisher=WSPA-TV|first=Rob|last=Landreth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608085442/http://www2.wspa.com/news/2010/jun/04/shealy-says-she-will-challenge-knotts-2012-ar-306573/|archive-date=June 8, 2010|url-status=dead}} On June 10, the Lexington County Republican Party voted to censure Knotts and asked him to resign from office, by a vote of 26 to 7.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/local-gop-leaders-ask-s-c-state-senator-to-resign-over-raghead-remark|title=Local GOP Leaders Ask S.C. State Senator to Resign Over 'Raghead' Remark|date=June 11, 2010|access-date=June 11, 2010|publisher=Fox News}} Knotts reiterated that he would not resign, saying "I'm truly, deeply sorry I used those words and there was no intention for them to be interpreted to be prejudice."
In a 2021 interview, Knotts said again that Haley "wasn't a real Christian" and had "converted for political purposes".{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/magazine-nikki-haleys-choice/|title=Nikki Haley's Time for Choosing|website=Politico}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200640&c=426974 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200440&c=59527 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200240&c=24683 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200040&c=378538 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=199840&c=378279 1998] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=199640&c=377997 1996] campaign contributions
{{South Carolina State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knotts, Jake}}
Category:Republican Party South Carolina state senators
Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
Category:People from West Columbia, South Carolina
Category:20th-century South Carolina politicians
Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly