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Townsend was the party's unsuccessful gubernatorial nominee in both 1916 and 1920, having been defeated by the Democratic nominees, Charles Hillman Brough and Thomas Chipman McRae, respectively. In the 1916 race, Townsend polled 43,963 votes (25 percent), compared to Brough's 122,041 (69.5 percent). Another 9,730 votes were cast for the [[Socialist]] nominee, William Davis.<ref>''Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections,'' Vol. 2, 6th ed., p. 1601</ref>

Townsend was the party's unsuccessful gubernatorial nominee in both 1916 and 1920, having been defeated by the Democratic nominees, Charles Hillman Brough and Thomas Chipman McRae, respectively. In the 1916 race, Townsend polled 43,963 votes (25 percent), compared to Brough's 122,041 (69.5 percent). Another 9,730 votes were cast for the [[Socialist]] nominee, William Davis.<ref>''Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections,'' Vol. 2, 6th ed., p. 1601</ref>

   

   

In the 1920 race, McRae polled 123, 637 votes (66.6 percent) to Townsend's 46,350 (25 percent). An Independent Josiah H. Blount, the principal of an African American school in Helena, Arkansas, defected from the GOP and received the remaining 15,627 (8.4 percent).  Blount was tied to the former Black-and-Tan faction of the GOP.<ref>Billy Hathorn, ''The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982'' (College Station, Texas: [[Texas A&M University]], 1983), pp. 25-30</ref>The gains predicted by Townsend and the Lily Whites never materialized, and the Black and Tans, as they became known in other southern states as well, were reconciled for several more decades with the regular GOP. In time though the Arkansas black voters swung solidly Democratic by the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name=bio/>   

In the 1920 race, McRae polled 123, 637 votes (66.6 percent) to Townsend's 46,350 (25 percent). An Independent Josiah H. Blount, the principal of an African American school in Helena, Arkansas, defected from the GOP and received the remaining 15,627 (8.4 percent).  Blount was tied to the former Black-and-Tan faction of the GOP.<ref>Billy Hathorn, ''The Republican Party in Arkansas, 1920-1982'' (College Station, Texas: [[Texas A&M University]], 1983), pp. 25-30</ref> The gains predicted by Townsend and the Lily Whites never materialized, and the Black and Tans, as they became known in other southern states as well, were reconciled for several more decades with the regular GOP. In time though the Arkansas black voters swung solidly Democratic by the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name=bio/>   

   

   

Townsend attended every Republican National Convention from 1912 to 1960. From 1916 to 1962, he served on the state party’s executive committee. He was the state party’s vice chairman from 1920 to 1928 and the national committeeman for thirty-three years, 1928 to 1961. During the [[Warren G. Harding]] administration, Townsend was named registrar of the U.S. land office at Little Rock from 1922 to 1924. The [[Herbert Hoover|Hoover]] administration named him United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, a patronage appointment that he held from 1930 to 1934, when he was replaced in the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] administration. Townsend's career at times paralleled that of another Little Rock attorney, [[Osro Cobb]], who served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1927 to 1931 from Montgomery County. Cobb served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas in the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] administration.

Townsend attended every Republican National Convention from 1912 to 1960. From 1916 to 1962, he served on the state party’s executive committee. He was the state party’s vice chairman from 1920 to 1928 and the national committeeman for thirty-three years, 1928 to 1961. During the [[Warren G. Harding]] administration, Townsend was named registrar of the U.S. land office at Little Rock from 1922 to 1924. The [[Herbert Hoover|Hoover]] administration named him United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, a patronage appointment that he held from 1930 to 1934, when he was replaced in the [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] administration. Townsend's career at times paralleled that of another Little Rock attorney, [[Osro Cobb]], who served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1927 to 1931 from Montgomery County. Cobb served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas in the [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] administration.