 He was elected county commissioner on November 8, 2016 and sworn into office on January 1, 2017.Ellis was elected to the Texas Senate on February 13, 1990, and sworn into office on February 27, 1990.In his 26-year tenure, Ellis passed 700 pieces of legislation and earned praise for his leadership on increasing access to college for high-achieving Texas students, championing criminal justice reforms to protect the innocent and hold the guilty accountable, and fighting to provide quality, affordable health care to the most vulnerable Texans, amongst many other issues.