[6] After becoming a Republican, Ward was criticized for switching parties to enhance his chances of winning Louisiana's 6th congressional district seat in 2014.
Scott McKay, writer for conservative Louisiana politics blog The Hayride, stated that Ward had voted "to expand Medicaid, push a Lilly Ledbetter Junior bill in the state legislature and oppose term limits for school board hacks, is a pretty dubious proposition.".
[7] However, Ward decided not to seek the U.S. House seat after he determined that a congressional race and service if elected would take too much time from the formative years of his young children.
[8] At the end of the special legislative session in June 2017, Ward introduced a resolution calling upon lawmakers to act in a more civil fashion toward one another, not to let partisanship and political views sour personal relations with colleagues.
[9] State Representative Chris Broadwater, a Republican from Hammond, introduced Ward's resolution in the House, where it passed without opposition.