{{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 | name = John M. Knotts, Jr. | 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, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Betty Lee | profession = law enforcement | party = Republican }}
'''John Milton "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.<ref name="bio">{{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}}</ref> He was the child of a poverty-stricken family and raised as Jakie Webster until he was told his real name at age 12.<ref>[http://blogs.thestate.com/bradwarthensblog/2008/05/how-jake-became.html "How Jake became Jake: Knotts on growing up poor in Columbia."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630160240/http://blogs.thestate.com/bradwarthensblog/2008/05/how-jake-became.html |date=June 30, 2009 }} Interview with Jake Knotts. 23 May 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2009.</ref> Knotts served in the Navy.<ref name="item">[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.</ref> Following his service, Knotts worked as a police officer for the Columbia Police Department, a detective, and an assistant coroner before entering politics.<ref name="item" /> Knotts married Betty Lee in 1965,<ref name="bio" /><ref name="votesmart">{{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}}</ref> with whom he has two children, Michelle Nicole and Tara Marie.<ref name="votesmart" />
==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.<ref>[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.</ref><ref>Yvonne Wenger. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090629065502/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.</ref>
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:<ref name="bio" /> * 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."<ref name="thestate">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.</ref> Haley was raised as a Sikh and later converted to Christianity. Haley has stated she attends services of both faiths.<ref name="thestate" />
Other South Carolina Republicans were quick to distance themselves from Knotts and called for an apology.<ref>Smith, Ben. [https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2010/06/sc-republicans-condemn-raghead-comment-027380 S.C. Republicans condemn 'raghead' comment.] ''Politico.'' June 3, 2010.</ref> 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."<ref name="yahoo">[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.</ref> Haley campaign manager Tim Pearson called Knotts "an embarrassment to our state and to the Republican Party."<ref>{{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}}</ref>
After Knotts' controversial remarks, former Lexington County Republican Party chairwoman Katrina Shealy announced a primary candidacy to challenge Jake Knotts in 2012.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref name="fox">{{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}}</ref> 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."<ref name="fox" />
In a 2021 interview, Knotts said again that Haley "wasn't a real Christian" and had "converted for political purposes".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/magazine-nikki-haleys-choice/|title=Nikki Haley's Time for Choosing|website=Politico}}</ref>
== Honors and recognitions == In April 2020, a House resolution was passed honoring Knotts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2019-2020 Bill 5432: John Milton Knotts, Jr. - South Carolina Legislature Online |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/5432.htm |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.scstatehouse.gov}}</ref>
A bridge crossing Lake Murray is named for Jake Knotts.<ref>{{Citation |last=V-rider |title=Jake Knotts bridge on Lake Murray |date=2012-07-02 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/vrider97/7536168078/ |access-date=2025-06-25}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
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**[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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knotts, Jake}} Category:Republican Party South Carolina state senators Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:People from West Columbia, South Carolina Category:20th-century South Carolina politicians Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly