Townsend

(name as recorded in the historical source)

★ U.S. Representative

Home state: New York
Party: Independent
On the ballot: 1790–1898

Career timeline

1790Rep 1806Rep 1808Rep 1808Rep 1810Rep 1812Rep

1816Rep 1882Rep 1898Rep

1-8

RecordWin–Loss

Total Popular Votes

Townsend12,208

Opponents118,217

Elections run

Between 1790 and 1898, Townsend ran in 9 U.S. House elections, winning 1 and losing 8. Townsend's biggest single-election total was 6,639 votes, in the 1898 U.S. House election in New York's District 7. Townsend's closest win came in the 1790 U.S. House election in New York's District 1, decided by 273 votes.

Browse every U.S. House race in New York's District 7, every U.S. House race in New York's District 1, or every U.S. House race in New York's District 2.

How many votes has Townsend received?

Townsend has received 12,208 popular votes across 9 U.S. elections, with a career record of 1–8.

Election history

Townsend’s election history
Year	Office	Result	Votes	Opponent(s)
1898	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	6,63931.28%	Nicholas Muller Julius Loos R H Ferguson (head-to-head)
1882	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	4,95720.59%	Perry Belmont Markham
1816	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	20.01%	William Irving (head-to-head) Peter Wendover William J Hoffman Edward Ely (head-to-head) John N Jones (head-to-head) Smith (head-to-head) John Evans Scudder John Perine F R Gilbert Sylvanus Barker V Gurdon S Mumfort Samuel L Mitchill John G Davis
1812	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	Egbert Benson Jotham Post William Irving (head-to-head) R H Ferguson (head-to-head) Jacob Jay (head-to-head) Benjamin B Blydenburgh Billy Irvin John Bingham Nathan Sage John Lefferts Washington T Henderson (head-to-head) Gurdon Mumford (head-to-head) Williams Joseph S Vanwyck Vancleve C Mott Hamilton Fish (head-to-head) William Someville Edward Ely (head-to-head) Michael Cashman George Gardener
1810	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	John Nicholson Austin E Ford Silas Stow Lucius C Atwater Silas Stowr Charles W Richards Silas Staw Nathaniel Merriam Alphonzo A Hopkins George A Hunter John Nicholonson Corlis Hinds John Broome Reuben P Skinner Benedict Richard Coxe Oscar W Swift M P Bush Reuben Humphries James Hawley Smith (head-to-head) Thomas Rockwell Daniel D Tompkins
1808	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	40.02%	J A King William Denning Gurdon Mumford Washington T Henderson (head-to-head) Dirck Gardenier Barnet Gardinier Benjamin Coe (head-to-head) Monson Morris (head-to-head) E Watson Gardiner James Lawrence V John N Jones (head-to-head) Benjamin W Seaman William H Ireland Stephen Jumal Thomas Nixon Oliver Wolcott T H Walker John Sidell William A Crane Smith (head-to-head) George Gosman Frederick Shanewolfe Jacob Jay (head-to-head) James Cheetham
1808	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.02%	Vincent Matthews William Harris Alva Carpenter James R Grover Josiah Willoughby Edward C Baker James McAll Hugh W Dobbins Smith (head-to-head) Thomas G Sayre George Hornel G L Halsey Emanuel Coryel
1806	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	John Henry Livingston Gurdon Mumford (head-to-head) George Clinton John B Coles Hamilton Fish (head-to-head) John R Livinston Monson Morris (head-to-head) John N Jones (head-to-head) Benjamin Coe (head-to-head) John G Ward Semour Sherwin Allan L Benson Benjamin Knap M W %dr< Palmer William Hoffmaster George Schmelz James L Wells Andrew Heister
1790	U.S. HouseNew York	Won	60235.56%	Wm Floyd Vanderbilt Thomas Tredwell Ezra Lhommedieu

Cite this profile. PolitiFinder, “Townsend: election history & vote totals.” https://politifinder.com/p/townsend. Accessed [date].

Compiled by PolitiFinder. Election results from official certified sources and the MIT Election Lab. See Data & sources and methodology. Data last verified July 28, 2026.