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Gary Knopp recall, Alaska House of Representatives (2019-2020)
| Alaska House of Representatives recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2019 Recalls in Alaska Alaska recall laws State legislative recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Gary Knopp, a member of the Republican Party, from his elected position representing District 30 in the Alaska House of Representatives was launched in May 2019. Recall supporters needed about 1,000 signatures to request a recall petition from the Division of Elections, overseen by Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R). If the petition was approved, supporters would have needed about an additional 3,000 signatures to force a recall election. Supporters had until July 28, 2020, to turn in the required signatures to the division of elections.[1]
As of January 2020, the recall was considered abandoned.[2]
Knopp was targeted for recall due to his role in forming a majority coalition with Democrats. Recall supporters argued Knopp’s actions contributed to delays and disruption to the 2019 legislative session, which prevented the legislature from finishing all of its scheduled work. Prior to the legislative session, Knopp announced that he was leaving the Republican caucus and would help form a majority coalition with Democrats. He said, "A 21 member caucus cannot succeed. It’s doomed for failure and I’m not going to be on that train. I’m not joining the Democrats either. I’m doing this to try and force a true coalition."[3] Over 30 days in January and February, Knopp helped to form a coalition of 15 Democrats, eight Republicans, and two members unaffiliated with either party. That coalition elected Bryce Edgmon (undeclared) as House speaker on February 14, 2019.[1] This resulted in the parties having split control of key leadership positions in a power-sharing agreement.
Due to the delays at the beginning of its session, the legislature was unable to finish all of its work. In response, Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) called the legislature into a 30-day special session on May 15, 2019. That special session was tasked with passing legislation related to criminal reform, the operating budget, the mental health budget, the capital budget, and education funding.[4] A second special session was held from July 8 to August 6 to address the state's capital budget and Permanent Fund dividend.[5]
Knopp was also censured by the Alaska Republican Party in May 2019 for his role in the disruptions to the start of the 2019 legislative session. Because of the censure, the state Republican Party stated that it would no longer support Knopp.[6]
Knopp was elected to District 30 in the state House in 2016. He defeated Shauna Thornton (D) and two other candidates in the general election with 66.51% of the vote. He was unopposed in the 2018 election.
Recall supporters
In May 2019, a committee formed and registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission to gather signatures to recall Rep. Knopp. According to the petition, Knopp was targeted for recall because "he prevented the House from organizing for 30 days at the beginning of the session." The petition also stated that "due to his [Knopp's] indecision the House was not been able to finish its work and forced the Legislature into a special session."[7]
According to an article in Must Read Alaska, the initial application for the recall said that Knopp was targeted for recall for the following reasons:[1]
| “ |
Neglect of duties: Knopp did not show up for several key votes this session as he was working behind the scenes to arrange for a Democrat-led Majority. Incompetence: By purposefully not voting, he has demonstrated his incompetence in representing a conservative district. Fitness for office: During a town hall meeting, Knopp admitted that he had deceived his fellow lawmakers and constituents. He acknowledged he had ethical reservations about going against his word when he said he would vote for a Republican speaker. He described his subsequent actions of voting for himself as that speaker as a “sleight of hand.” The trickery involved makes him unfit for office, the group says. On behalf of his constituents, he admitted he lied.[8] |
” |
Recall opponents
After the recall was announced against Rep. Knopp, he said: "In the recall petition, they are welcome to do what they want to do. I don’t think they have cause, but if they want to move forward with it that’s their prerogative. I just wish it would be done by people in the district not the haters across the state who aren’t getting what they want."[7]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Alaska
Alaska state recall laws require that an application be submitted to the Alaska Division of Elections with a number of physical signatures equal to 10 percent of people who voted in the preceding general election. Applicants must also include a statement of no more than 200 words providing the grounds for recall, which include "misconduct in office, incompetence, or failure to perform prescribed duties" (§ 9 ch 74 SLA 1985). If the application is approved, a petition is issued by the division of elections. In order to trigger a recall election, petitioners must then gather a number of signatures equal to 25 percent of the people who voted in the preceding general election.
Supporters of the recall needed to collect about 1,000 signatures to request a recall petition from the Division of Elections. If the petition was approved, supporters would have needed about 3,000 signatures to force a recall election.[7] Supporters had up to 180 days prior to the term end date of the state official being considered for recall to turn in the necessary signatures to the division of elections. The last day for supporters to turn in signatures for the Knopp recall was July 28, 2020.
Election history
2018
General election
General election for Alaska House of Representatives District 30
Incumbent Gary A. Knopp won election in the general election for Alaska House of Representatives District 30 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Gary A. Knopp (R) | 93.8 | 6,187 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 6.2 | 407 | ||
| Total votes: 6,594 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 30
Incumbent Gary A. Knopp advanced from the Republican primary for Alaska House of Representatives District 30 on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gary A. Knopp | 100.0 | 2,332 |
| Total votes: 2,332 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Alaska House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 16, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016. Incumbent Kurt Olson (R) did not seek re-election.
Gary A. Knopp defeated Shauna Thornton, Daniel Lynch and J.R. Myers in the Alaska House of Representatives District 30 general election.[9][10]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 30 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Gary A. Knopp |
65.51% | 5,346 | |
| Democratic | Shauna Thornton | 22.89% | 1,868 | |
| Independent | Daniel Lynch | 5.80% | 473 | |
| Constitution | J.R. Myers | 5.80% | 473 | |
| Total Votes | 8,160 | |||
| Source: Alaska Secretary of State | ||||
Shauna Thornton ran unopposed in the Alaska House of Representatives District 30 Democratic Primary.[11][12]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 30 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Shauna Thornton (unopposed) | |
Gary A. Knopp defeated Keith D. Baxter, Rick R. Koch and Kelly J. Wolf in the Alaska House of Representatives District 30 Republican Primary.[11][12]
| Alaska House of Representatives, District 30 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Gary A. Knopp |
43.14% | 887 | |
| Republican | Keith D. Baxter | 15.22% | 313 | |
| Republican | Rick R. Koch | 28.26% | 581 | |
| Republican | Kelly J. Wolf | 13.38% | 275 | |
| Total Votes | 2,056 | |||
Historical state legislative recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 140 recall efforts against 133 state lawmakers from 1913 to 2019. During that time, 39 recalls made the ballot and 22 state legislators were successfully recalled.[13]
Michigan led the way with 36 state legislative recall efforts from 1913 to 2019. Of those 36 recall efforts, three were successful. Wisconsin followed with 30 state legislative recall efforts. Six of those recalls were successful.
See also
- Recall campaigns in Alaska
- Political recall efforts, 2019
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- State legislative recalls
- Mike Dunleavy recall, Governor of Alaska (2019)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Must Read Alaska, "Trouble for Knopp: Two opponents, a recall, possible party sanctions," May 16, 2019
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Former Alaska Right to Life director will run for Mat-Su legislative seat," January 14, 2020
- ↑ Twitter, "The Alaska Landmine on December 8, 2018," accessed May 22, 2019
- ↑ KTUU, "Dunleavy to call Legislature into special session over budget, PFD, crime, education, more," May 15, 2019
- ↑ Alaska Public Media, "Dunleavy calls for round two in Wasilla after Alaska Legislature adjourns first special session," June 13, 2019
- ↑ Peninsula Clarion, "Knopp censured by Alaska Republican Party," May 20, 2019
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Radio Kenai, "Knopp Responds To Recall Petition," May 17, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "November 8, 2016 General Election Candidate List," accessed August 22, 2016
- ↑ Alaska Secretary of State, "General Election Official Results 2016," accessed December 2, 2016
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 State of Alaska Division of Elections, "August 16, 2016 Primary Candidate List," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 State of Alaska Division of Elections, "2016 Primary Election results," accessed September 12, 2016
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Recall of State Officials," accessed August 13, 2021
