Bryan Townsend is a Democratic state senator representing District 11 in the Delaware Senate, covering the Greater Newark area, including portions of Bear and Glasgow. Born Bryan Jeffrey Schurgard Townsend on May 19, 1981, he is a native Delawarean, son of a retired Newark police officer and a long-serving public school teacher. A former attorney specializing in corporate litigation, he has represented Delaware businesses, children in foster care, victims of domestic violence, and veterans with service-related disabilities. He lives with his wife Lilianna, a fellow attorney and first-generation Vietnamese-American, and their two sons, Logan and Landon. Notable achievements include defeating a long-serving Senate President pro tempore in the 2012 Democratic primary as a political newcomer, serving as Senate Majority Leader since 2020 , and chairing the Senate Labor Committee while vice-chairing several others.

Education and Political Experience

Education: Townsend graduated from Glasgow High School , earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Economics from the University of Delaware , a Master of Philosophy in Chinese Studies from the University of Cambridge, and a J.D. from Yale Law School .

Political Experience: Elected to the Delaware Senate in 2012 , Townsend chairs the Senate Labor Committee and serves as vice-chair of Executive, Health & Social Services , Judiciary, and Legislative Council committees; he also sits on Housing & Land Use, Rules & Ethics, and others. He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. House in 2016, placing second in the Democratic primary. Previously, he clerked for Chancellor William Chandler III in the Delaware Court of Chancery and volunteered with organizations like Christiana Volunteer Fire Co., Special Olympics Delaware, and Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club.