STEVE KNIGHT
U.S. CONGRESSMAN (RET)
Stephen Thomas Knight (born December 17, 1966) is an American politician, military veteran and former police officer. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for California’s 25th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. Knight previously represented California’s 21st State Senate district from 2012 to 2015 and California’s 36th State Assembly district from 2008 through 2012; he also served as Assistant Minority Leader in the California State Assembly from 2010 until 2012.
Knight served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 1993 and 18 years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He was first elected to the Palmdale City Council in 2005. He lost his reelection bid in 2018 to Democrat Katie Hill. After Hill resigned the following year, he ran in the 2020 special election to complete her term, as well as the concurrent election for the next term, but he did not advance past the primary in either election.
Early Life, Military Service, and Private Career
Knight was born at Edwards Air Force Base in Antelope Valley, California, in 1966. After graduating from Palmdale High School, he served in the U.S. Army (1985–87) as a tracked vehicle systems mechanic in Friedberg, Germany. When his tour ended, he served in the Army Reserve until 1993.[5] In 2006, Knight received an Associate of Arts (AA) from Antelope Valley College.
Knight served for 18 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he was selected to serve on the Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums (CRASH) team. He served on the Palmdale City Council and represented the north Los Angeles County area in both the California State Assembly and the California State Senate.
California State Legislature
Knight was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2008, succeeding Sharon Runner. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Assistant Minority Leader of the California State Assembly. He was elected to the California State Senate in 2012, in which he represented the 21st District until 2014. His father, the late William J. “Pete” Knight, served as Republican state senator in the Antelope Valley.
In the State Assembly, Knight was Vice Chairman of the Natural Resources and Public Safety Committee and served on the Aerospace; Local Government; Utilities and Commerce; and Rules Committees.
In September 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill introduced by Knight that aimed to protect California’s disabled veterans by fixing an issue with property tax exemptions.
