Changes

|term_start=January 14, 2008​

|term_start=January 14, 2008​

|term_end=January 13, 2020​

|term_end=January 13, 2020​

|preceded=Gerald J. Theunissen​

|preceded=[[Gerald J. Theunissen]]​

|succeeded=[[Mark Abraham]]​

|succeeded=[[Mark Abraham]]​

|office2=Louisiana State Representative for District 37 (Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes)​

|office2=Louisiana State Representative for District 37 (Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes)​

==Political life==

==Political life==

Morrish won his Senate seat in the [[general election]] held on November 17, 2007, when he defeated the then Democrat Gillis James "Gil" Pinac of Crowley in Acadia Parish, who was  also a departing state representative from a nearby district. In a low-turnout contest, Morrish polled 11,186 votes (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46.1 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 17, 2007.</ref><ref>Gil Pinac thereafter switched to Republican affiliation and ran third in  a [[special election]] held on April 4, 2009, for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Former [[U.S. Representative]] Clyde Cecil Holloway of Rapides Parish won the seat after the second-place candidate, then state Senator  [[Joe McPherson]], also of Rapides Parish, withdrew from a runoff contest. See "Senator drops out of runoff for PSC," ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' April 14, 2009, p. B2.</ref>​

Morrish won his Senate seat in the [[general election]] held on November 17, 2007, when he defeated the then Democrat [[Gil Pinac|Gillis James "Gil" Pinac]] of Crowley in Acadia Parish, who was  also a departing state representative from a nearby district. In a low-turnout contest, Morrish polled 11,186 votes (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46.1 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 17, 2007.</ref>

Prior to his state Senate tenure, Morrish was the Democratic state representative for District 37 (Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes) from 1996 to 2008. He won a special election in 1996 to succeed Gerald J. Theunissen, who resigned from the House upon election to the state Senate seat that Morrish would hold for twelve years. Morrish was then unopposed as a Democrat for the House seat in the nonpartisan blanket [[Primary|primaries]] held in 1999 and 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legis.state.la.us/members/h1880-2008.pdf|title=Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2020 (Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis parishes)|publisher=legis.state.la.us|accessdate=December 5, 2019}}</ref> Morrish switched parties on November 18, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=272551|title="Our Campaigns", Louisiana House race 2005, party switch"|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=December 5, 2019}}</ref>  

Gil Pinac thereafter switched to Republican affiliation and ran third in a [[special election]] held on April 4, 2009, for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. The second placed candidate, Democratic former state Senator [[Joe McPherson]] of south Rapides Parish, withdrew from a runoff contest against Republican former [[U.S. Representative]] Clyde Cecil Holloway (1943-2016), also of south Rapides Parish.<ref>"Senator drops out of runoff for PSC," ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune,'' April 14, 2009, p. B2.</ref>​

Like Morrish, Theunissen, another Democrat-turned-Republican from Jennings, served first in the House and then the Senate. Theunissen, a banker, was term-limited and ineligible to seek a fourth Senate term in the 2007 primary. Meanwhile, Morrish was succeeded in the House by another Jennings Republican businessman, John E. "Johnny" Guinn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=37|title=Louisiana House of Representatives: John E. Guinn|publisher=louisiana.gov|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref>

 

Like Morrish, Theunissen, another Democrat-turned-Republican from Jennings, served first in the House and then the Senate. Theunissen, a banker, was term-limited and ineligible to seek a fourth Senate term in the 2007 primary. Meanwhile, Morrish was succeeded in the House by another Jennings Republican businessman, John E. "Johnny" Guinn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=37|title=Louisiana House of Representatives: John E. Guinn|publisher=louisiana.gov|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref>

Morrish served his last term in the House as a member of the Appropriations Committee as the representative for the since disbanded 7th congressional d.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.legis.state.la.us/H_Misc/Press_Rel/PDF/MorrishElectedAppCmte.pdf|title=Morrish Elected to Appropriations Committee|publisher=house.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref> As senator, Morrish served on the Legislative Rural Caucus, Environmental Quality, Insurance, Coastal Restoration & Flood Control, and Revenue & Fiscal Affairs committees. He was also vice-chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Morrish/assignments.asp|title=Louisiana State Senate: Dan W. "Blade" Morrish|publisher=senate.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref>

Morrish served his last term in the House as a member of the Appropriations Committee as the representative for the since disbanded 7th congressional d.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.legis.state.la.us/H_Misc/Press_Rel/PDF/MorrishElectedAppCmte.pdf|title=Morrish Elected to Appropriations Committee|publisher=house.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref> As senator, Morrish served on the Legislative Rural Caucus, Environmental Quality, Insurance, Coastal Restoration & Flood Control, and Revenue & Fiscal Affairs committees. He was also vice-chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Morrish/assignments.asp|title=Louisiana State Senate: Dan W. "Blade" Morrish|publisher=senate.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=October 14, 2009}}</ref>