Joe "Nip" McKnight (December 4, 1933 – February 20, 2023) was an American politician who represented Tennessee's 27th district in the state senate from 1987–1995.

McKnight grew up in Bemis, Tennessee, a company town run by the Bemis Company that merged into the city of Jackson in 1977. His father, a former college basketball player at University of Tennessee-Martin, taught McKnight the game at a young age. He continued playing throughout high school and college, first for Memphis State University before transferring to UT-Martin, where McKnight broke his father's scoring record. After graduation, McKnight taught at South Side High School in Jackson for two years. He was then hired by Martin-Marietta Ammunition of Milan and served as the company's production superintendent for sixteen years.^[1]

McKnight served as Madison County commissioner for eight years prior to winning the 1986 state senate election.^[1] He defeated Bobby Carter in the tight 1990 election,^[2] but lost to Carter four years later.

McKnight married Sandra Maddox in 1960.^[1][3]

McKnight died on February 20, 2023.^[4]