Rodney Ellis
| Rodney Ellis | ||
 | ||
| Texas State Senate, District 13 | ||
| Incumbent | ||
| In office | ||
| 1991 - Present | ||
| Term ends | ||
| January 10, 2017 | ||
| Years in position | 22 | |
| Party | Democratic | |
| Compensation | ||
| Base salary | $7,200/year | |
| Per diem | $150/day | |
| Elections and appointments | ||
| Last election | November 6, 2012 | |
| First elected | 1990 | |
| Next election | November 8, 2016 | |
| Term limits | N/A | |
| Personal | ||
| Profession | Investment Banker | |
| Websites | ||
| Office website | ||
 | ||
Contents |
He is credited with creating the Texas Legislative Internship Program and has said that working with legislative interns is one of his biggest accomplishments. [1]
Education and career
Ellis studied at Xavier University in New Orleans, and earned his bachelor's degree from Texas Southern University in Houston. He holds a master's in public affairs (MPA) from the University of Texas. He studied at the London School of Economics and earned his JD from the University of Texas.
Ellis has worked as an attorney and investment banker. He is a partner with Rice Financial Products Company.
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Ellis served on the following committees:
| Texas Committee Assignments, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Natural Resources | ||||
| • State Affairs | ||||
| • Transportation | ||||
2011-2012
Ellis served on the following Texas Senate committees:
| Texas Committee Assignments, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Government Organization, Chair | ||||
| • Criminal Justice | ||||
| • State Affairs | ||||
| • Transportation & Homeland Security | ||||
2009-2010
| Texas Committee Assignments, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Government Organization | ||||
| • Criminal Justice | ||||
| • State Affairs | ||||
| • Transportation & Homeland Security | ||||
Elections
2012
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012
Ellis ran in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 13. Ellis ran unopposed in the May 29 primary election and was unchallenged in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[2]
2010
- See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2010
Ellis won re-election to the 13th District Seat in 2010. He ran unopposed in the primary.
Ellis defeated Republican opponent Michael Mauldin in the general election on November 6, 2012.[3]
| Texas State Senate, District 13 2010 General election results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Rodney Ellis (D)
|
113,155 | 78.17% | ||
| Michael Mauldin (R) | 31,596 | 21.82% | ||
2006
On Nov. 7, 2006, Ellis won re-election to the 13th District Seat in the Texas State Senate.[4]
Ellis raised $532,709 for his campaign.[5]
| Texas State Senate, District 13 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
| Rodney Ellis (D)
|
90,148 | 100% | ||
Campaign donors
2012
Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.
2010
Ellis raised a total of $437,454 in 2010. Below are his top campaign contributors in the 2010 election:[6]
| Contributor | 2010 total |
|---|---|
| Perry, Bob J. | $25,000 |
| Friends of The University of Houston | $11,000 |
| 5 separate donors each donating: | $10,000 |
2006
In 2006, a year in which Ellis was up for re-election, he collected $532,709 in donations. [7]
His four largest contributors in 2006 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Texas Association of Mortgage Attorneys | $25,000 |
| Robert Perry | $22,500 |
| Charles Duncan | $12,500 |
| BG Distribution Partners | $10,000 |
2002
In 2002, a year in which Ellis was up for re-election, he collected $470,250 in donations. [8]
His four largest contributors in 2002 were:
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Keep Hope Alive | $10,000 |
| Texas Trial Lawyers Association | $10,000 |
| Perry, Bob J. and Doylene | $7,500 |
| Devlin, Robert | $7,500 |
Controversies
In 2007, Ellis gave his endorsement to a Houston Independent School District bond package, which the voters passed. But few people knew that the same package he endorsed could benefit Ellis, whose firm Rice Financial Products works on the school district's bond transactions. The Web site Texas Watchdog reported that Ellis' firm stands to make tens of thousands of dollars from the deal. [9]
And in 2008, Ellis stayed at a $495-per-night Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan while attending a conference. The Houston Democrat picked the Ritz over the actual conference hotel, the Marriott Marquis near Times Square, where other state lawmakers stayed at less than half the Ritz's nightly rate. The gathering was organized by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators. [10]
Scorecards
Empower Texans Fiscal Responsibility Index
Empower Texans produces the Fiscal Responsibility Index as "a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues." The index uses "exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators' governing philosophy."[11] Legislators are graded along a standard grading scale, receiving grades A through F based on their performance during the legislative session.
2011
Rodney Ellis received a grade of F on the 2011 Fiscal Responsibility Index.
Personal
Ellis is married to Licia Green Ellis and has four children.
External links
- Rodney Ellis' personal website
- Official website of Rodney Ellis
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions: 2012, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1998
- Rodney Ellis on Facebook
References
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Sen. Rodney Ellis is known for pushing long-shots and keeping at it until they ripen", April 2009
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State - 2012 Election and Candidate Information
- ↑ Official Texas State Senate Election Results
- ↑ Election Results, Texas State Senate, District 13
- ↑ Election Results, Texas State Senate, District 13
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2010 Campaign contributions
- ↑ 2006 contributions to Rodney Ellis
- ↑ 2002 contributions to Rodney Ellis
- ↑ Texas Watchdog, "Private firm stands to profit from bond package"
- ↑ Texas Watchdog story
- ↑ Empower Texans, "Fiscal Responsibility Index"
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by NA |
Texas Senate District 13 1991-present |
Succeeded by NA |
| |||||||||||||||||
- State legislative article missing donor information
- Current member, Texas State Senate
- State senators first elected in 1990
- State Senate candidate, 2010
- Texas
- 2010 candidate
- Democratic Party
- 2010 incumbent
- 2010 winner
- 2012 incumbent
- State Senate candidate, 2012
- 2012 primary (winner)
- 2012 general election (winner)
- 2012 unopposed
- 2012 unopposed primary and general election
