Bryan Townsend (American politician)

For the Irish politician, see Bryan Townsend (Irish politician).

Bryan Townsend
Majority Leader of the Delaware Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 4, 2020
Preceded byNicole Poore
Member of the Delaware Senate
from the 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2013
Preceded byAnthony DeLuca
Personal details
Born (1981-05-19) May 19, 1981 (age 43)
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Delaware (BA, BS)
University of Cambridge (MPhil)
Yale University (JD)

Bryan Jeffrey Schurgard Townsend (born May 19, 1981) is an American politician who represents District 11 in the Delaware Senate.[1] Townsend was elected Senate Majority Leader in 2020.[2] He graduated from the University of Delaware in 2003.

As a political newcomer, Townsend defeated Anthony J. DeLuca—who was then President pro tempore of the Delaware Senate—in the 2012 Democratic primary by 57 percent to 42 percent.[3][4] Townsend went on to defeat Republican Evan Queitsch in the general election, winning 78 percent of the vote.[5][6]

Townsend was reelected in 2014. He defeated primary challenger David L. Tackett with 78 percent of the vote,[7][8] and was unopposed in the general election.[9]

In September 2015, in the wake of Representative John Carney's announcement that he would run for governor of the state, Townsend announced his candidacy for Delaware's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[10] On September 13, 2016, his candidacy ended when he placed second in a six-way Democratic primary, behind former state Secretary of Labor Lisa Blunt Rochester (25% to 44%).[11][12]

Townsend supports gun control and has supported a bill in 2018 to ban assault weapons.[13] In 2024, he countered and voted against a bill legalizing medical aid in dying in Delaware.[14][15]

  1. ^ "Official web site of First State Legislature". www.legis.delaware.gov. January 20, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  2. ^ Edelen, Joseph (June 27, 2024). "Delaware Senate completes override of governor's veto to State Employee Benefits Committee changes". Bay to Bay News.
  3. ^ "Incumbents DeLuca and Booth fall in State Senate primary races, Bennett wins primary for husband's House seat | WDDE 91.1 FM | Delaware's NPR News station". Wdde.org. September 12, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  4. ^ "Primary Election Results". Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  5. ^ "2012 Election Results". Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  6. ^ "Townsend elected to state Senate - The Review - The independent student newspaper of the University of Delaware since 1882". Udreview.com. November 12, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  7. ^ "2014 Primary Election Results". Delaware Department of Elections. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  8. ^ Duvernay, Adam (June 20, 2016). "Bryan Townsend has claim to frontrunner status in congressional race". The News Journal.
  9. ^ "State of Delaware General Election Official Results". Dover, Delaware: Delaware Commissioner of Elections. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "State Sen. Bryan Townsend announces congressional bid". Delaware News Journal. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  11. ^ "2016 Primary Election Results". Delaware Department of Elections. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  12. ^ "Blunt Rochester wins Democratic primary for Congress". Delaware News Journal. September 13, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  13. ^ "Assault style weapons ban unable to get out of committee". Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  14. ^ Chase, Randall (September 20, 2024). "Delaware governor draws criticism from fellow Democrats for vetoing doctor-assisted suicide bill". The Seattle Times.
  15. ^ Petrowich, Sarah (June 21, 2024). "Delaware Senate votes against legalizing medical aid in dying, but it could have one more chance". Delaware First Media.