Midlothian U.S. congressman will give Capitol Hill legislative update on Monday
This coming Monday, Dec. 13, the Midlothian Chamber of Commerce will host U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey for a legislative update during a luncheon at the Midlothian Conference Center.
Ellzey, who calls Midlothian home, will provide attendees with an update on the latest goings-on in Washington and answer questions. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. and should conclude by 1:30.
Admission will be $25 for registered Midlothian Chamber members, $35 for prepaid non-members and $40 for non-registered / walk-in. Sponsorships for businesses are also available.
Ellzey, a Republican, was sworn-in at the U.S. Capitol on Aug. 3 after winning a special election runoff for the District 6 seat. The seat came open on Feb. 7 upon the death of GOP Rep. Ron Wright just weeks into his second term from complications of COVID-19 and stage-4 lung cancer.
Having just been elected to represent Texas House District 10 a few months before, Ellzey threw his hat in the ring for the congressional special election and advanced to a runoff against Republican Susan Wright, the late congressman’s widow. Despite a prominent endorsement of his opponent from President Donald Trump. Ellzey won the July runoff by a solid margin.
Ellzey’s U.S. House district will be even redder for the next decade following U.S. Census redistricting. The Texas Legislature this fall redrew the map to keep the core counties of Ellis and Navarro while making the district more rural and therefore, even more Trump-friendly.
Added to the district are the entirety of Hill, Freestone, Anderson and Cherokee counties as well as the eastern half of Johnson County. The densely-populated suburban portion previously encompassing a significant part of Tarrant County was reduced to a thin strand extending into the cities of Dallas, Irving, Arlington, Grand Prairie and Mansfield.
At the moment. the only declared GOP candidate for the March 1 primary is James Buford, a Tarrant County businessman. Ellzey himself has not filed for re-election yet according to Ballotpedia, but the statewide filing deadline for the primaries isn’t until Dec. 15.
In 2020, Ellzey won the GOP primary for Texas House District 10 and faced token opposition in the general election in winning the seat that was being vacated by former state Rep. John Wray. Ellzey’s only civilian governmental service to that point had been as a member of the Texas Veterans Commission from 2012 to 2018.
Ellzey vacated his state House seat upon election to the U.S. House and was replaced by Trump administration official Brian Harrison in an ensuing special election.
Ellzey, a 1992 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, flew both fighter aircraft and helicopters in the Navy and served with SEAL Team 5 in Iraq. Retiring as a commander, Ellzey became a commercial pilot and a first officer at Southwest Airlines.
He has also been Chief Executive Officer of HoldFast, a public speaking/professional development organization that exclusively utilizes military/special operations veterans and first responders to inspire and engage corporate and other audiences.
Ellzey and his wife, Shelby, have a daughter and son who both attend Midlothian schools.