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Bryan Townsend
2012 - Present
2028
12
Bryan Townsend (Democratic Party) is a member of the Delaware State Senate, representing District 11. He assumed office on November 7, 2012. His current term ends on November 7, 2028.
Townsend (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Delaware State Senate to represent District 11. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Townsend began serving as state Senate majority leader in 2020.
Biography
Townsend graduated from Glasgow High School in 1999. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.S. and an M.A. in economics. In 2004, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in philosophy and biology. In 2006, he graduated from the University of Cambridge in England and Peking University in China with an M.A. in Chinese. Townsend went on to earn a law degree from Yale Law School.[1]
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Townsend was assigned to the following committees:
- Executive Committee, Vice Chair
- Housing and Land Use Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Labor Committee, Chair
- Rules and Ethics Committee
- Legislative Council Committee
2021-2022
Townsend was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Agriculture Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice Chair
- Senate Education Committee
- Executive Committee, Vice-Chair
- Housing and Land Use Committee, Chair
- Rules and Ethics Committee
- Legislative Council Committee
2019-2020
Townsend was assigned to the following committees:
- Joint Committee on Capital Improvement
- Legislative Council Committee
- Banking, Business, and Insurance Committee
- Capital Improvement Committee
- Judicial Committee, Vice-Chair
- Executive Committee
- Health & Social Services Committee, Chair
- Rules and Ethics Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Delaware committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Banking, Business, and Insurance |
| • Capital Improvement |
| • Corrections and Public Safety |
| • Education |
| • Health, Children, and Social Services, Chair |
| • Joint Committee on Capital Improvement |
| • Joint Sunset |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Townsend served on the following committees:
| Delaware committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Adult & Juvenile Corrections |
| • Banking and Business, Chair |
| • Education |
| • Judiciary |
| • Public Safety |
| • Sunset |
| • Veterans Affairs |
| • Joint Sunset |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Townsend served on the following committees:
| Delaware committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Adult & Juvenile Corrections |
| • Banking, Chair |
| • Education |
| • Judiciary |
| • Public Safety |
| • Sunset |
| • Veterans Affairs |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Delaware State Senate District 11
Incumbent Bryan Townsend won election in the general election for Delaware State Senate District 11 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Bryan Townsend (D) | 100.0 | 15,898 |
| Total votes: 15,898 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Bryan Townsend advanced from the Democratic primary for Delaware State Senate District 11.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Townsend in this election.
2022
See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Delaware State Senate District 11
Incumbent Bryan Townsend won election in the general election for Delaware State Senate District 11 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bryan Townsend (D) | 100.0 | 8,843 |
| Total votes: 8,843 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Bryan Townsend advanced from the Democratic primary for Delaware State Senate District 11.
2018
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Delaware State Senate District 11
Incumbent Bryan Townsend defeated Dan Kapitanic in the general election for Delaware State Senate District 11 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bryan Townsend (D) | 75.8 | 10,421 |
 | Dan Kapitanic (R) | 24.2 | 3,335 | |
| Total votes: 13,756 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Delaware State Senate District 11
Incumbent Bryan Townsend advanced from the Democratic primary for Delaware State Senate District 11 on September 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Bryan Townsend |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Delaware State Senate District 11
Dan Kapitanic advanced from the Republican primary for Delaware State Senate District 11 on September 6, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Dan Kapitanic |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent John Carney Jr. (D) did not seek re-election, leaving the seat open. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) defeated Hans Reigle (R), Scott Gesty (L), and Mark Joseph Perri (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Rochester defeated Bryan Townsend, Sean Barney, Michael Miller, Scott Walker, and Elias Weir in the Democratic primary on September 13, 2016.[2][3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Lisa Blunt Rochester |
55.5% | 233,554 | |
| Republican | Hans Reigle | 41% | 172,301 | |
| Green | Mark Joseph Perri | 2% | 8,326 | |
| Libertarian | Scott Gesty | 1.5% | 6,436 | |
| Total Votes | 420,617 | |||
| Source: Delaware Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lisa Blunt Rochester |
43.9% | 26,613 | ||
| Bryan Townsend | 24.7% | 14,950 | ||
| Sean Barney | 20.2% | 12,274 | ||
| Michael Miller | 5.5% | 3,319 | ||
| Scott Walker | 5% | 3,008 | ||
| Elias Weir | 0.7% | 449 | ||
| Total Votes | 60,613 | |||
| Source: Delaware Department of Elections |
||||
2014
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2014
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was July 8, 2014. Incumbent Bryan Townsend defeated David L. Tackett in the Democratic primary and was unchallenged in the general election.[5][6][7][8]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Bryan Townsend Incumbent |
78.1% | 1,253 |
| David L. Tackett | 21.9% | 352 |
| Total Votes | 1,605 | |
2012
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2012
Townsend ran in the 2012 election for Delaware State Senate District 11. Townsend defeated incumbent Anthony DeLuca in the Democratic primary on September 11, 2012, and defeated Evan Queitsch in the general election on November 6, 2012.[9][10]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bryan Townsend |
78.4% | 12,860 | |
| Republican | Evan Queitsch | 21.6% | 3,550 | |
| Total Votes | 16,410 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Bryan Townsend |
57.8% | 1,441 |
| Anthony DeLuca Incumbent | 42.2% | 1,054 |
| Total Votes | 2,495 | |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Bryan Townsend did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Bryan Townsend did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
The following issues were listed on Townsend's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
| “ |
|
” |
| —Townsend's campaign website | ||
2014
Campaign website
Townsend’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Bryan is actively involved in several different areas important to Delaware. These include: EDUCATION. Education is the most important issue for Delaware and our country. Read more about Bryan’s views on education. JOBS & ECONOMY More than five years have passed since the start of the Great Recession. Delaware’s economy continues to struggle. Read more about Bryan’s views on jobs and the economy. CIVIL RIGHTS Bryan has always supported treating people equally regardless of their race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, religion, or disability. Read more about Bryan’s views on important civil rights issues. CRIMINAL JUSTICE One of the most fundamental roles of government is to protect its citizens. Read more about Bryan’s views how this relates to Delaware’s criminal justice system. TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE The state of Delaware’s infrastructure is vitally important, to the safety of all Delawareans as well as to Delaware’s current and future economy. Read more about Bryan’s views on transportation and infrastructure. ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT Events of the past few years, including disasters like Hurricane Sandy, have demonstrated the increasingly high human and economic costs of severe weather.The time for arguing about the causes and pace of climate change is over. Read more about Bryan’s views on energy and the environment. VETERANS Bryan is dedicated to supporting retired and active military service members and their families. Read more about Bryan’s support for veterans. COMMUNITY SAFETY Safe communities are a key part of a strong Delaware. Read more about Bryan’s views on keeping Delaware safe and united.[11] |
” |
| —Bryan Townsend’s campaign website (2024)[12] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Delaware scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Delaware State Legislature was in session from January 9 to June 30.
|
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Delaware State Legislature was in session from January 10 to June 30. |
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Delaware State Legislature was in session from January 11 to June 30.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Delaware State Legislature was in session from January 12 to June 30.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Delaware State Legislature was in session from January 14 to June 30. |
2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 8 through June 30.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 9 through June 30.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 10 through June 30. The legislature held a special session on July 2.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 12 through July 1.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 13 through June 30.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 14 through July 1.
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2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
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In 2013, the Delaware General Assembly was in session from January 8 through July 1. Ballotpedia staff did not find any state legislative scorecards published for this state in 2013. If you are aware of one, please contact editor@ballotpedia.org to let us know. |
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Delaware State Senate District 11 |
Officeholder Delaware State Senate District 11 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Bryan Townsend for Delaware Facebook Page, "Info," accessed September 1, 2012
- ↑ Delaware Secretary of State, "Primary election candidates," accessed July 13, 2016
- ↑ Delaware Secretary of State, "General election candidates," accessed July 13, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Delaware House Primary Results," September 13, 2016
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Official primary election candidate list," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Official general election candidate list," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Official primary election results," accessed September 17, 2014
- ↑ State of Delaware, "Official general election results," accessed November 13, 2014
- ↑ Delaware Elections Division, "Candidate List," accessed July 13, 2012
- ↑ Delaware Department of Elections, "Official Primary Results," accessed March 20, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Bryan Townsend’s campaign website, “Issues,” accessed October 8, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Delaware State Senate District 11 2012-Present |
Succeeded by - |
