Jake Knotts
| John M. Knotts, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 23rd district |
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In office 2002–2012 |
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| Preceded by | Joe Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Katrina Shealy |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 88th district |
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In office 1994–2002 |
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| Preceded by | C. Lenoir Sturkie |
| Succeeded by | Mac Toole |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 12, 1944 West Columbia, South Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Lee |
| Profession | law enforcement |
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.
Knotts was born in December 1944 in West Columbia, South Carolina, the son of John Milton, Sr. and Dovereen Jessie (Williams) Knotts. He was the child of a poverty-stricken family and raised as Jakie Webster until he was told his real name at age 12. Knotts served in the Navy. 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, with whom he has two children, Michelle Nicole and Tara Marie.
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.
While serving in the State Senate, Knotts called Nikki Haley a "raghead." Haley went on to become governor.
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.
Knotts served on the following committees in the state senate:
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." Haley was raised as a Sikh and later converted to Christianity. Haley has stated she attends services of both faiths.
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