ᵻlˈɛktᵻd æz ɐ dˈɛməkɹˌæt tə ðə twˈɛntiˈeɪtθ juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts kˈɑːŋɡɹəs, bˈɪɹdsli sˈɜːvd æz jˈuː. ˈɛs. ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntətˌɪv fɚðə twˈɛntiəθ dˈɪstɹɪkt fɹʌm mˈɑːɹtʃ fˈoːɹ, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi θɹˈiː, tə fˈɛbɹuːˌɛɹi twˈɛnti nˈaɪn, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈoːɹ, wˌɛn hiː ɹɪzˈaɪnd tʊ ɐksˈɛpt ðɪ ɐpˈɔɪntmənt æz ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪt dʒˈʌstɪs ʌvðə nˈuː jˈɔːɹk suːpɹˈiːm kˈoːɹt.
Elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth United States Congress, Beardsley served as U. S. Representative for the twentieth district from March 4, 1843, to February 29, 1844, when he resigned to accept the appointment as associate justice of the New York Supreme Court.