Rep. Ellington, Noble

House Member

Rep. Ellington, Noble (D)
District# 20, Winnsboro

Contact Information

District Office
Legislative Assistant : Brenda Ellington
Email Noble Ellington
Phone: (318) 435-7313
Fax: (318) 435-2994
Address: 4272 Front Street
Winnsboro, LA 71295
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336

Profile

- District #: House District 1
- Party: Democrat
- Caucus Membership: Democratic Caucus, Louisiana Rural Caucus
- Occupation: Cotton Merchant; Owner, Ellington Cotton Co., Inc.
- Education: Louisiana Tech University (B.S.)
- Spouse: Brenda
- Year Elected: 1995
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
- 2007 Election
  Now back for a second time around, Noble Ellington served in the House from 1988 to 1996. He decided to run for his old House seat when term limits ended his three term stint in the Senate. In the primary election, Ellington faced opposition from two other Democrats, landowner Cleve Womack and President of the Caldwell Parish Police Jury Jeff Wyant. Ellington nearly avoided a runoff as he garnered forty-nine percent of the votes in the primary, which was fifteen percent more than his runoff opponent Womack. The runoff proved to be much closer than the primary, as Ellington won by fifty-two percent, which equaled a margin of five hundred twenty-nine votes.

District Profile

Registered Voters by Parish: Caldwell 23.8%, Catahoula 26.7%, Franklin 48.5%, Tensas 1.0%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: Baskin, Clarks, Columbia, Gilbert,
Grayson, Harrisonburg, Jonesville, Sicily Island, Winnsboro, Wisner
- Louisiana Map
- District Map
- Metro Map
Economic: District 20 spans across four parishes—Franklin, Caldwell, Catahoula and Tensas. Agriculture is the single-most significant economic force in this district. Fertile soil covers this district allowing residents to be successful with cash crops like soybeans, cotton, corn and sweet potatoes. A profitable timber industry exists in Catahoula and Caldwell parishes. The areas of land that are not fertile farm land or full forests are lush pasturelands where cattle and other livestock roam.
The parish seat of Caldwell, Columbia, is one of the district’s largest cities. Residents hope that Columbia’s Main Street campaign and philosophy of historic preservation will foster economic development. The Main Street program, meant to retain the small-town flavor, is jointly funded through local, parish and state government.

Social: For those residents not interested in farming, out migration is a popular option. Those residents which remain in the district for work, are typically either among the few wealthy plantation owners or among the many low-income small farmers and sharecroppers. This district primarily consists of small towns and villages where residents are strongly guided by religion and church.
Political: Overwhelmingly Democratic, this district has a significant African-American voting block. However, Republicans can win because many of the white residents are conservative despite their party affiliation. Residents’ religious beliefs keep them from supporting any form of gaming.

Biography

- Noble Ellington has been a cotton merchant for forty-seven years and the owner of Ellington Cotton Company for thirty-seven years. Other business ventures of Ellington’s include being owner/partner of South Franklin Gin, Inc. and director of Franklin State Bank and of Franklin Cotton Warehouse.
- Representing a rural district both in the Senate and the House, transportation and infrastructure always have been important to Ellington. He served as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee from 2004 to 2008. Since 1999, Ellington has served as the state chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
- As a member of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, he’ll play major role in the upcoming redistricting process. He also pays particular attention to issues coming out of Caldwell Parish and, more recently, Louisiana’s commercial seafood industry. In 2009, he sponsored a country of origin labeling system for catfish farmers.
- Although Ellington is a lifelong Democrat, he tends to be socially conservative; he is adamantly opposed to abortion and gambling. Having a pro-business voting record, Ellington has often voted for LABI’s tort reform and environmental agenda. Look for Ellington, a Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation board member, to continue to focus on agricultural issues for his far-flung district.