he entered politics as a representative in the indiana house in 1923. his single term in the legislature was focused mostly on reforming the state's tax code, an issue he worked on up through his term as governor. in 1928 he ran an unsuccessful campaign for congress, but was defeated. he then returned to education, serving again as a school superintendent and on the executive committee of the indiana's teachers association in 1929. townsend's experience in education made paul v. mcnutt consider him as a candidate for lieutenant governor and helped him to win the nomination at the state's democratic convention in 1932.