Ellis first won a seat in the House in 2004, finishing first in a three-way Republican Party (United States) primary and going on to defeat Democrat Fred Vero with 55.9% of the vote.
Ellis has served as the Pennsylvania State Leader for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
[8] In January 2019, the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office opened a criminal investigation into allegations Ellis had raped a female state employee while she was incapacitated, prompting members of the Pennsylvania state house, including the Republican leadership, to call for his resignation.
[9][10] The victim later issued a complaint to the Pennsylvania House Ethics Committee detailing the alleged assault.
Ellis, who was married at the time, denied the accusations, but leading Republicans began to call for a full investigation.