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 Evans Scudder John N Jones (head-to-head) Smith (head-to-head) F R Gilbert Gurdon S Mumfort John G Davis John Perine Samuel L Mitchill Sylvanus Barker V
1812	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	Egbert Benson Jotham Post William Irving (head-to-head) R H Ferguson (head-to-head) Benjamin B Blydenburgh Jacob Jay (head-to-head) Billy Irvin John Bingham John Lefferts Nathan Sage Edward Ely (head-to-head) George Gardener Gurdon Mumford (head-to-head) Hamilton Fish (head-to-head) Joseph S Vanwyck Michael Cashman Vancleve C Mott Washington T Henderson (head-to-head) William Someville Williams
1810	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	Austin E Ford Silas Stow John Nicholson Lucius C Atwater Charles W Richards Silas Staw Silas Stowr Alphonzo A Hopkins Nathaniel Merriam Corlis Hinds George A Hunter John Nicholonson Benedict Daniel D Tompkins James Hawley John Broome M P Bush Oscar W Swift Reuben Humphries Reuben P Skinner Richard Coxe Smith (head-to-head) Thomas Rockwell
1808	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	40.02%	William Denning Gurdon Mumford Washington T Henderson (head-to-head) Dirck Gardenier Barnet Gardinier Benjamin Coe (head-to-head) E Watson Gardiner Monson Morris (head-to-head) James Lawrence V John N Jones (head-to-head) Benjamin W Seaman Frederick Shanewolfe George Gosman J A King Jacob Jay (head-to-head) James Cheetham John Sidell Oliver Wolcott Smith (head-to-head) Stephen Jumal T H Walker Thomas Nixon William A Crane William H Ireland
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 George Hornel Smith (head-to-head) Thomas G Sayre Emanuel Coryel G L Halsey
1806	U.S. HouseNew York	Lost	10.01%	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 Allan L Benson Andrew Heister Benjamin Knap George Schmelz James L Wells John Henry Livingston M W %dr< Palmer Semour Sherwin William Hoffmaster
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 November 9, 2026.