Hopkins won his House seat when the GOP incumbent Bruce Newton Lynn, I, of Gilliam decided not to seek re-election in 1987.
Hopkins defeated the Fourth Congressional District Republican chairman, Kenneth "Ken" Frazier, and a fellow Democrat, Norbert Johnson.
The Shreveport Times, his regional newspaper, described Hopkins as having a great sense of humor and a "biting wit" but "adept at getting bills passed and maneuvering behind the scenes to kill legislation he opposed."
A colleague and close friend, Representative Billy Montgomery, a Democrat-turned-Republican from Haughton in Bossier Parish, told the Shreveport Times that Hopkins was a "team player" who had a good relationship with almost everybody.
Hopkins authored a bill to provide health benefits to lawmakers who had served prior to the installation of term limits.
Then House Speaker Joe Salter, a Democrat from Florien in Sabine Parish, said that Hopkins could not be pressured to support or oppose legislation.
Billy Montgomery told The Times that ethics laws were unneeded for legislators like Hopkins: "He just had common sense, and he was a good person.
The same was also said of an earlier occupant of the north Caddo House seat, James H. "Jimmy" Wilson (1931–1986), a Democrat and later Republican from Vivian.
Services were held on November 28, 2006, in the 300-seat United Pentecostal Church of Oil City, with the Reverends Johnny Peden, Gerald Trammell, and H. A. McFarland officiating.
Governor Blanco arrived in Oil City, having first attended the inauguration of outgoing state Representative Cedric Bradford Glover as the first black mayor of Shreveport.
Pallbearers included Judge Roy Brun, Wayne Taylor, Patrick Wooldridge, Dan Turner, Dr. John Haynes, and Charlie Alexander.
Oil City is located on Louisiana Highway 1 north of Caddo Lake and south of the Arkansas state line.