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 created 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 (http://www.khshawks.org/)
- 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)