William John Knotwell III (born January 24, 1978)[1] is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives representing District 52 from January 1, 2013, to October 26, 2019. The district includes Herriman, western Riverton, southwest South Jordan in the State of Utah.[2][3]
John Knotwell | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Utah House of Representatives from the 52nd district | |
| In office January 1, 2013 – October 26, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel McCay |
| Succeeded by | Candice Pierucci |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jill |
| Children | 5 |
| Residence(s) | Herriman, Utah, U.S. |
| Education | Utah Valley University (AS) University of Utah (BS) Utah State University (MBA) |
| Website | johnknotwell |
Born to American parents in Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, Knotwell spent most of his childhood in Southern California, near San Diego. Knotwell's father was a career United States Navy sailor who spent half his career as an enlisted sailor and half as a Commissioned Warrant Officer.
Early life and education edit
Knotwell graduated from Poway High School in Poway, California. He attended California State University, Northridge for one year. In December 1997, Knotwell moved to Utah and enrolled as a summer visiting student at Brigham Young University. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to be accepted full-time and later enrolled at Utah Valley State College.
Knotwell earned his Associate of Science in political science from Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University), a Bachelor of Science in political science with a minor in history from the University of Utah, and a Masters in Business Administration from Utah State University.[2]
Career edit
During the 2010 Utah Republican neighborhood caucus, Knotwell was elected to serve as precinct chair, county delegate, and state delegate. He participated in the state and county party conventions and served his term until 2012. In 2011, Knotwell ran for the Herriman City Council to represent District 1. He was unsuccessful in unseating incumbent city councilman Matt Robinson.
In March 2012, Knotwell announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for Utah House of Representatives. Following the 2010 United States census, the seat was occupied by Daniel McCay was redistricted and became an open seat. Four candidates sought the nomination and Knotwell won on the first ballot with 76% of the vote. In the November 2012 general election he won the popular vote and was designated representative-elect until taking office on January 1, 2013.
Utah State House of Representatives edit
60th Utah State Legislature (2013–2014) edit
- Committee Assignments
- Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Committee, Member
- House Revenue & Taxation Standing Committee, Member
- House Transportation Committee, Member
- Public Utilities & Technology Interim Committee, Member
61st Utah State Legislature (2015–2016) edit
- Committee Assignments
- House Business & Labor Standing Committee, Vice Chair
- House Rules Committee, Vice Chair
- Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Committee, Member
- House Revenue & Taxation Standing Committee, Member
- IT Steering Committee, Member
62nd Utah State Legislature (2017–2018) edit
Representative Knotwell was elected to serve as the majority assistant whip during the 62nd Utah State Legislature. In this capacity, he assists other members of the majority elected leadership to craft the state budget, negotiate priorities among the Utah Senate and governor's office and secure votes among the Utah House of Representatives.
- Committee Assignments
- Executive Appropriations, Member
- House Business & Labor Standing Committee, Member
- House Transportation Standing Committee, Member
- IT Steering Committee, Member
Personal life edit
Knotwell lives in Herriman, Utah, and works as senior vice president of global sales at Nuvi. Knotwell and his wife, Jill, have five children.[4]
Electoral history edit
2012 election edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell | 48 | 76.19 | |
| Republican | Joe Ross | 7 | 11.11 | |
| Republican | Michelle Baguley | 5 | 7.94 | |
| Republican | Jewel K. Skousen | 3 | 4.76 | |
| Total votes | 63 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell | 9,928 | 73.54 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Paget | 2,958 | 21.91 | |
| Independent | Aaron M. Davis | 601 | 4.45 | |
| Total votes | 13,501 | 100.00 | ||
2014 election edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell (incumbent) | 6,055 | 76.45 | |
| Democratic | Daniel Paget | 1,865 | 23.55 | |
| Total votes | 7,920 | 100.00 | ||
2016 election edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell | 122 | 86.50 | |
| Republican | Michael Swensen | 19 | 13.40 | |
| Total votes | 141 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell (incumbent) | 13,020 | 74.67 | |
| Democratic | Garr K. Smith | 4,417 | 25.33 | |
| Total votes | 17,437 | 100 | ||
References edit
- ^ "John Knotwell's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ a b "John Knotwell". Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah House of Representatives. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- ^ "Twenty-seven-year-old Candice Pierucci is Utah’s newest — and youngest — lawmaker," The Salt Lake Tribune, November 9, 2019
- ^ "John Knotwell's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2021-10-29.