L. D. Knox
| L. D. "None of the Above" Knox, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Luther Divine Knox March 9, 1929 Jigger, Franklin Parish, Louisiana, US |
| Died | May 27, 2009 (aged 80) Winnsboro in Franklin Parish |
| Other names | "None of the Above" Knox Nota Knox |
| Occupation | Farmer; timber owner |
| Political party | Democratic-turned-Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Divorced three times; spouses not listed in obituary |
| Children | Sandra, Janice, Sherry, Peggy, Reggie, Darryl, Doyle, L. D. Jr, Gary, Jeffrey, Gregory, Angel, and Corey Knox |
| Parent(s) | Grady Perry Knox and Leatrice Addis Rogers Knox |
| Notes | |
|
(1) Though he never won an election, Knox forcefully crusaded to include "None of the Above" on ballots to enhance voter choice. (2) In the 1963–1964 election cycle, Knox came within eighteen votes of ousting Democratic State Representative Lantz Womack of Winnsboro. (3) At the age of seventy, Knox made a last race for sheriff of his native Franklin Parish. |
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(1) Though he never won an election, Knox forcefully crusaded to include "None of the Above" on ballots to enhance voter choice.
(2) In the 1963–1964 election cycle, Knox came within eighteen votes of ousting Democratic State Representative Lantz Womack of Winnsboro.
Luther Divine Knox, Sr. (March 9, 1929 – May 27, 2009), known as L. D. Knox, "None of the Above" Knox, or Nota Knox, was a colorful politician from Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who attracted national media attention in 1979 when he legally changed his name to "None of the Above" Knox to protest the lack of candidate choices. Knox claimed that the absence of choices led to the selection of the "lesser of two evils". He hence proposed that voters be given the "None of the Above" option if they reject the declared candidates for office.
Knox was born in rural Jigger in south Franklin Parish to Grady Perry Knox (1900–1985) and the former Leatrice Addis "Lee" Rogers (1903-1994). During World War II, Knox was an instructor to military service personnel in the area of combat and enemy resistance. A farmer and timberman, Knox owned some 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) about Bayou Macon, which he hand cleared and cultivated in what he considered to have been an aberrant but advanced style of agriculture.
Knox claimed to have run for more offices than nearly any other American citizen, having sought the Louisiana governorship, the 5th District slot in the U.S. Congress, a seat in the Louisiana State Legislature, and even the office of U.S. President. In 1978, Knox and then Louisiana Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown of Ferriday in Concordia Parish, running as Democrats, unsuccessfully challenged the reelection of freshman Democratic U.S. Representative Jerry Huckaby. In 1979, Knox began the process of adding "None of the Above" to his name when he was a minor candidate in the gubernatorial election. He was unable to procure the name change until after the election was held. U.S. Representative David C. Treen became the first Republican governor since Reconstruction, and Knox finished seventh, with 6,327 votes, in the nonpartisan blanket primary.
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