Steven T. Kuykendall

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Steve Kuykendall.jpg

| state = California

| district = 36th

| term_start = January 3, 1999

| term_end = January 3, 2001

| predecessor = Jane Harman

| successor = Jane Harman

| state_assembly2 = California

| district2 = 54th

| term_start2 = December 5, 1994

| term_end2 = November 30, 1998

| predecessor2 = Betty Karnette

| successor2 = Alan Lowenthal

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|1|27}}

| birth_place = McAlester, Oklahoma, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|1|22|1947|1|27}}

| death_place = Long Beach, California, U.S.

| party = Republican

| spouse = Jan Kuykendall

| children = 3

| alma_mater = Oklahoma City University (BS)
San Diego State University (MBA)

|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

|branch = {{flag|United States Marine Corps}}

|serviceyears = 1968–1973

|rank = 7px Second Lieutenant

|battles = Vietnam War

}}

Steven T. Kuykendall (January 27, 1947 – January 22, 2021) was an American politician and Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from {{ushr|California|36}} from 1999 to 2001 in the 106th Congress. He defeated Democrat Janice Hahn in the 1998 election with 49% of the vote. He was narrowly defeated for re-election in 2000 by his predecessor Jane Harman, who had relinquished her seat to run for Governor in 1998. Kuykendall was the only freshman congressman to be defeated for re-election in 2000.

Life and career

A resident of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Kuykendall was born in McAlester, Oklahoma. He studied at Oklahoma City University and earned his MBA from San Diego State University. Kuykendall also served in the United States Marine Corps for two tours in the Vietnam War.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-28 |title=Steven T. Kuykendall Obituary - Fisher House Southern California |url=https://www.fisherhousesocal.org/steven-t-kuykendall-obituary/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |language=en-US}}https://web.archive.org/web/20001225195801/http://www.house.gov/kuykendall/bio3.htm

=Political career=

Prior to becoming a congressman in 1999, Kuykendall was a member of the California State Assembly between 1994 and 1998. He was elected to the Assembly by defeating incumbent Betty Karnette.

File:Steve kuykendall-Dana Rohrabacher.jpg]]

In 1998, he successfully waged a campaign for Congress and served in the 106th Congress from January 3, 1999, to January 3, 2001. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 2000. In the US House, Kuykendall served on the Armed Services, Science, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committees.{{cite web | url=http://www.house.gov/kuykendall/oldcomm3.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001225195801/http://www.house.gov/kuykendall/oldcomm3.htm | archive-date=December 25, 2000 | title=Committee Assignments }}

Kuykendall ran again for the Assembly in 2004 but was unsuccessful. He also served on the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council from 1991 to 1994, holding the position of mayor in 1994. His political archives were donated to the California State University, Long Beach library.{{Cite web| title = Former Congressman Kuykendall Donates Archives to Library| work=Inside CSULB | publisher = California State University, Long Beach

| date = December 1, 2009 | url = http://csulb.edu/misc/inside/core/?p=8764}}

In 2012, he ran for the newly created 47th congressional district. He placed third in the jungle primary and did not make the November runoff, which was won by Democrat Alan Lowenthal.

In January 2021, Kuykendall signed a letter calling on Republicans to impeach President Donald Trump after the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pogo.org/letter/2021/01/former-gop-lawmakers-put-country-over-party-and-impeach-president-trump/|title=Former GOP Lawmakers: Put Country over Party and Impeach President Trump|website=Project On Government Oversight|date=January 11, 2021 }}{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/533669-22-retired-gop-members-of-congress-call-for-trumps-impeachment|title=22 retired GOP members of Congress call for Trump's impeachment|first=John|last=Bowden|date=January 11, 2021|website=The Hill}}

=Death=

He died of pulmonary fibrosis on January 22, 2021, in Long Beach, California at age 73.{{cite web|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2021/01/25/former-congressman-fisher-house-leader-steve-kuykendall-dies-at-73/ |title=Former congressman, Fisher House leader Steve Kuykendall dies at 73 |publisher=Presstelegram.com |date=2021-01-25 |accessdate=2021-01-25}}

Electoral history

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"

|+ {{ushr|California|36}}: Results 1998–2000{{cite web|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |access-date=2007-08-08 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070725184700/http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |archive-date=July 25, 2007 }}

!|Year

!|Democrat

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|Republican

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|3rd Party

!|Party

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|3rd Party

!|Party

!|Votes

!|Pct

!|3rd Party

!|Party

!|Votes

!|Pct

1998

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Janice Hahn

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |84,624

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |47%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |{{nowrap|Steven T. Kuykendall}}

|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |88,843

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |49%

|{{Party shading/Green}} |Robin Barrett

|{{Party shading/Green}} |Green

|{{Party shading/Green}} align="right" |3,612

|{{Party shading/Green}} align="right" |2%

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} |Kerry Welsh

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} |Libertarian

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |3,066

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |2%

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} |John R. Konopka

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} |Reform

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} align="right" |1,561

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} align="right" |1%

2000

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |{{nowrap|Jane Harman}}

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |115,651

|{{Party shading/Democratic}} |48%

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |Steven T. Kuykendall

|{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |111,199

|{{Party shading/Republican}} |47%

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} |Daniel R. Sherman

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} |Libertarian

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |6,073

|{{Party shading/Libertarian}} align="right" |3%

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} |John R. Konopka

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} |Reform

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} align="right" |3,549

|{{Party shading/ReformUSA}} align="right" |1%

|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Matt Ornati

|{{Party shading/Independent}} |Natural Law

|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |2,264

|{{Party shading/Independent}} align="right" |1%

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20050922040141/http://www.stevekuykendall.com/ Official site]
[http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/1998/states/CA/H/36/steven.kuykendall.html CNN candidate profile]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060315002525/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000357/ Voting record maintained by The Washington Post]
{{C-SPAN|57886}}
[http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/4862 Join California Steven T. Kuykendall]

{{Succession box|title=Member of the California State Assembly
from the 54th district|before=Betty Karnette|after=Alan Lowenthal|years=1994 – 1998}}

{{US House succession box|state=California|district=36|before=Jane Harman|after=Jane Harman|years=1999 – 2001}}

{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 106th United States Congress |state=California}}

Category:1947 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:American Presbyterians

Category:Mayors of places in California

Category:Republican Party members of the California State Assembly

Category:Oklahoma City University alumni

Category:People from Rancho Palos Verdes, California

Category:People from McAlester, Oklahoma

Category:San Diego State University alumni