William J. "Pete" Knight
Republican
| Date | Party | Office | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-03-1992 | Republican | AD-36 | 79718 | Win |
| 11-08-1994 | Republican | AD-36 | 75686 | Win |
| 11-05-1996 | Republican | SD-17 | 163531 | Win |
| 11-07-2000 | Republican | SD-17 | 172723 | Win |
Candidate Biography:
Born: November 18, 1929, in Noblesville, Indiana
Married: Helena Stone (d. 1978), Gail*
Children: David, Peter and Steve
Military Service: USAF (Vietnam)
Died (in office): May 7, 2004
1984-1988: Member, Palmdale City Council
1988-1992: Mayor, City of Palmdale (first to be popularly elected)
- LEGISLATION: Author of Proposition 22 (2000) which defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman.
- NOTABLE NO VOTE (Expanded Local Pension Benefits): Knight was one of 7 State Senators (and 14 legislators overall) who voted against AB 616 (2001) by Tom Calderon, which allowed California cities, counties and special districts to offer retirement benefit factors up to 3% at age 60. These higher benefit factors led to severe unfunded pension liabilities in a number of cities a decade later.
- In 1967, Knight set the world speed record of 4,520 MPH in a fixed wing aircraft.
- The spacecraft "White Knight One" and "White Knight Two" were named in honor of Pete Knight's work as an astronaut.
- PLACENAME: William J. "Pete" Knight High School in Palmdale
- PLACENAME: The Pete Knight Veterans Home of California is located in Palmdale.
- Gail Knight was a proponent for Proposition 8 (2008) [Limit on Marriage], which passed with 52.5%.
- HONOR: Knight was included on the Aerospace Walk of Honor (in Lancaster) in 1990.
Source: California Blue Book (2000)