Changes

Ellington handily won reelection to the Senate on October 23, 1991, when he defeated his first and only Republican opponent, Larry Bruce Minton (born 1945 of [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] in Rapides Parish),<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> In 2003, Ellington won his last Senate term in an easy contest with fellow Democrat James "Jim" Hearns (born 1952) of Columbia, 27,021 (80 percent) to 6,497 (20 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 4, 2003.</ref>

Ellington handily won reelection to the Senate on October 23, 1991, when he defeated his first and only Republican opponent, Larry Bruce Minton (born 1945 of [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] in Rapides Parish),<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 23, 1999.</ref> In 2003, Ellington won his last Senate term in an easy contest with fellow Democrat James "Jim" Hearns (born 1952) of Columbia, 27,021 (80 percent) to 6,497 (20 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 4, 2003.</ref>

==Party bolt==​

==Party bolt==

 

On December 9, 2010, Ellington announced that he was likely to switch to Republican affiliation to seek renewed membership in the state House of Representatives in 2011. Three other Democrats announced that same month that they had switched affiliation, [[John Alario]] of Westwego in Jefferson Parish,  [[Fred Mills]] of St. Martinville,  and Simone B. Champagne of Iberia Parish, following the departure two years earlier of John R. Smith of Leesville. Ellington and Smith had been the top recipients of legislative campaign contributions from Koch Industries and its subsidiaries in the state, in the election cycles before their party switches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.followthemoney.org|title=National Institute on Money in State Politics|publisher=followthemoney.org|accessdate=September 1, 2012}}</ref>  On December 17, 2010, Ellington made the switch official; his move gave the stzate GOP its first majority in the Louisiana House since [[Reconstruction]].

On December 9, 2010, Ellington announced that he was likely to switch to Republican affiliation to seek renewed membership in the state House of Representatives in 2011. Three other Democrats announced that same month that they had switched affiliation, [[John Alario]] of Westwego in Jefferson Parish,  [[Fred Mills]] of St. Martinville,  and Simone B. Champagne of Iberia Parish, following the departure two years earlier of John R. Smith of Leesville. Ellington and Smith had been the top recipients of legislative campaign contributions from Koch Industries and its subsidiaries in the state, in the election cycles before their party switches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.followthemoney.org|title=National Institute on Money in State Politics|publisher=followthemoney.org|accessdate=September 1, 2012}}</ref>  On December 17, 2010, Ellington made the switch official; his move gave the stzate GOP its first majority in the Louisiana House since [[Reconstruction]].

<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/12/louisiana_republicans_take_fir.html|title=Ellington gives GOP majority in House: Legislative veteran switches parties​|author=Bill Barrow|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=December 18, 2010|page=3A}}</ref> With Ellington's switch, the Louisiana House of Representatives had fifty-three Republicans, four members with no party affiliation, and forty-eight Democrats.</ref>

<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/12/louisiana_republicans_take_fir.html|title=Ellington gives GOP majority in House: Legislative veteran switches parties​|author=Bill Barrow|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=December 18, 2010|page=3A}}</ref> With Ellington's switch, the Louisiana House of Representatives had fifty-three Republicans, four members with no party affiliation, and forty-eight Democrats.</ref>

Ellington explained that this party switch is "historically significant, but the truth is I've been a conservative for my entire career, so it won't affect the way I vote. ... I found myself farther and farther away from what has become the liberal philosophy of the national party. My way of thinking, which falls along a more conservative line, has been shrinking within the party. At least nationally, the Republican Party seems to fit my philosophy more than the current Democratic Party."<ref name=switches>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20101218/NEWS01/12180346/Ellington-switches​|title = Ellington switches: First GOP House majority since Reconstruction|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=December 18,2 010|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]}}</ref>​

Ellington explained that this party switch is "historically significant, but the truth is I've been a conservative for my entire career, so it won't affect the way I vote. ... I found myself farther and farther away from what has become the liberal philosophy of the national party. My way of thinking, which falls along a more conservative line, has been shrinking within the party. At least nationally, the Republican Party seems to fit my philosophy more than the current Democratic Party."<ref name=switches>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20101218/NEWS01/12180346/Ellington-switches​|title=Ellington switches: First GOP House majority since Reconstruction|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=December 18, 2010|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]}}</ref>​

Then Speaker Jim Tucker, who had opposed Ellington's committee chairmanship in 2008 at the request of Governor Jindal, expressed "excitement" to having Ellington in the new legislative majority. "We as Republicans can continue to push for smaller, more efficient government, and we have the numbers to pass legislation that can do that if we stick together. . . . It's incredible that when I started in the House [in 2001] that we have more than doubled our numbers and indicative of where the state in going. It's also a tribute to those who preceded us to helped build the party in this state, in particular [Senator] David Vitter," said Tucker.<ref name=switches/>​

Then Speaker Jim Tucker, who had opposed Ellington's committee chairmanship in 2008 at the request of Governor Jindal, expressed "excitement" to having Ellington in the new legislative majority. "We as Republicans can continue to push for smaller, more efficient government, and we have the numbers to pass legislation that can do that if we stick together. . . . It's incredible that when I started in the House [in 2001] that we have more than doubled our numbers and indicative of where the state in going. It's also a tribute to those who preceded us to helped build the party in this state, in particular [Senator] David Vitter," said Tucker.<ref name=switches/>​