Joseph Kastl Knollenberg (November 28, 1933 – February 6, 2018) was an American politician from Michigan. From 1993 to 2009, he was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing and .

In his congressional term, Knollenberg was known as a staunch supporter of the North American Free Trade Agreement, President George W. Bush's stance on protecting manufactured goods and for voting against expanding SCHIP in the later years of his career. He was raised a Catholic

After graduation, he served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1957 as a corporal in Germany, where he specialized in petroleum chemistry. However, at a meeting with Knollenberg and other advisers, Broomfield announced he would not run for a 19th term. As the 11th was one of the most Republican districts in Michigan and the nation at the time, he was virtually assured of becoming only the third person to represent the district. He was reelected six times without serious difficulty, never dropping below 55 percent of the vote. In 2002 he was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal by the president of Armenia. On September 29, 2008, he voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

Committee assignments

  • Appropriations Committee:
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member) This was the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district in 48 years; in 1958 Broomfield only won a second term by 5.5 points.

2008 election

In January 2006, Congressman Knollenberg announced his intent to seek re-election in 2008. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targeted Congressional Districts where Republicans garnered less than 55% of the vote.

The Democratic nominee was Gary Peters, the former state lottery commissioner. In March 2008, Jack Kevorkian announced that he would challenge Knollenberg as an independent candidate. The Libertarian nominee was Adam Goodman and the Green nominee was Douglas Campbell.

Personal life and death

Knollenberg had two sons, Stephen and Martin with his wife, Sandra "Sandie" Moco, whom he married in September 1962 at St Frances Cabrini Church in Allen Park, Michigan.

References

  • Federal Election Commission — Joseph K. Knollenberg campaign finance reports and data
  • On the Issues — Joe Knollenberg issue positions and quotes
  • OpenSecrets.org — Joe Knollenberg campaign contributions
  • Project Vote Smart — Representative Joseph K. 'Joe' Knollenberg (MI) profile
  • Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Joe Knollenberg voting record