Bryan Townsend (American politician)

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

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.

Bryan Townsend
Majority Leader of the Delaware Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office November 4, 2020
Preceded by	Nicole Poore
Member of the Delaware Senate from the 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 8, 2013
Preceded by	Anthony DeLuca
Personal details
Born	(1981-05-19) May 19, 1981 (age 44) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Delaware (BA, BS) University of Cambridge (MPhil) Yale University (JD)

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 banning assault weapons and argued in favor of a 2018 bill that was not released from committee.^[13] In 2024, he co-sponsored a bill legalizing medical aid in dying in Delaware.^[14][15]