Dylan Fernandes

Dylan Fernandes
Member-elect of the Massachusetts Senate
from the Plymouth and Barnstable district
Assuming office
January 1, 2025
SucceedingSusan Moran
Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2017
Preceded byTimothy Madden
Personal details
Born1989 (age 34–35)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationCollege of Charleston (BS)
Harvard University (MPA)

Dylan A. Fernandes (born 1989)[1] [2] is a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives representing Martha's Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, four precincts of Falmouth, and Nantucket.[3] Serving since 2017, he is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently a Member-elect of the Massachusetts Senate from the Plymouth and Barnstable district, having won a close contest during the 2024 elections.

Born in Falmouth, Fernandes graduated from College of Charleston in 2013. He served as the political director for Maura Healey's campaign for attorney general of Massachusetts in 2014.[4] After the election, he worked in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office in civil rights, where he worked on cases combatting discrimination.[5][6] He ran for office in 2016 in a five-way primary and won by 13 percentage points, then faced a three-way general election, which he also won by 13 percentage points.[7]

Early life and education

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Fernandes is a fourth-generation resident of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and grew up in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He is the son of Tessa Lineaweaver of Woods Hole who owns Flying Pig Pottery and of Mario Fernandes of Falmouth who owns a small landscaping company. Fernandes's paternal great grandparents came to Massachusetts from the Azores and Puerto Rico.[8] He is of Portuguese and Puerto Rican descent.

Fernandes was accused of making sexist, racist, and homophobic statements as a teenager. He later apologized to a newspaper.[9][10]

Fernandes initially attended American University in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the College of Charleston and graduated there, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and majors in economics and political science. In 2022, he graduated with a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.[11]

Career

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In 2012, Fernandes worked on Senator Elizabeth Warren's campaign in his native Cape Cod region. Fernandes served as political director for Maura Healey's Attorney General of Massachusetts campaign in 2014. He went on to work as digital director in the attorney general's office. His work there included founding pro-LGBT rights events and women's rights. He also founded the 'Everyone Welcome' campaign to support the bill for transgender rights.

2016 State Representative election

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In 2016, Fernandes ran for the Massachusetts House representing precincts 1, 2, 5 and 6, of Falmouth, in Barnstable County; Chilmark, Edgartown, Aquinnah, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury, all in Dukes County; Nantucket, Nantucket County. Fernandes was endorsed by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.[12] He was elected on November 8, 2016, running only against independents.

Work as a Legislator

In 2017, Fernandes made his maiden speech on combating climate change and compelled the House of Representatives to vote for his bill signing Massachusetts onto the Paris Climate Agreement. The bill passed 146-10.[13]

Over the course of his tenure, Fernandes has passed 30 bills into law including legislation on ocean acidification, electric bicycles, and ensuring project-labor agreements and environmental protection in the offshore wind energy.[14]

Fernandes currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, and has seats on the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy, and the Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change.[15]

2024 State Senator election

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Fernandes won the general election for the Massachusetts State Senate Plymouth and Barnstable District seat against Republican State Representative Mathew Muratore (R-Plymouth) on November 5, 2024. The district covers Bourne, Falmouth, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, and Sandwich.[16]. Democrat Susan Moran, the incumbent, did not run for reelection.[17]

Electoral history

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2016 Democratic Primary[18]
Party Candidate Vote Percent Votes
Democrat Dylan Fernandes (won) 48.40% 3,385
Democrat T. Ewell Hopkins, Jr. 35.09% 2,454
Democrat Micheal G. Heylin 7.15% 500
Democrat Timothy M. Soverino 5.13% 359
Democrat Jessica G. Lambert 4.23% 296
2016 State Representative Seat[18]
Party Candidate Vote Percent Votes
Democrat Dylan Fernandes (won) 51.71% 13,030
Independent Tobias Glidden 38.10% 9,601
Independent Jacob Ferry 10.18% 2,566
2024 State Senator Seat[19]
Party Candidate Vote Percent Votes
Democrat Dylan Fernandes (won) 51.0% 57,953
Republican Mathew Moratore 49.0% 55,640

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Gross, Samantha J. (2022-09-23). "Meet the 32-year-old state representative thrust into the national spotlight when migrants landed on Martha's Vineyard". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  2. ^ Personal communication, June 13, 2024
  3. ^ "Rep. Dylan Fernandes Highlights Recovery Legislation - CapeCodToday.com". www.capecodtoday.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  4. ^ "Meet Dylan". Dylan Fernandes. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  5. ^ "Worcester-Based Convenience Store Chain Agrees to Pay Up to $25,000". Attorney General of Massachusetts. 2016-01-04. Archived from the original on 2018-03-16. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  6. ^ "Meet Dylan". Dylan Fernandes. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  7. ^ "Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  8. ^ "New Kid in the House". Mvmagazine.com. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  9. ^ Spillane, Geoff. "Political Notes: Fernandes apologizes for past Facebook posts". Capecodtimes.com. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  10. ^ Spillane, Geoff. "Fernandes apologizes for past Facebook posts". Capecodtimes.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  11. ^ "Dylan Fernandes – Rappaport". Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  12. ^ "Meet Dylan". Dylan Fernandes. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  13. ^ Spillane, Geoff. "Big week for Fernandes at Statehouse". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  14. ^ "About | Dylan Fernandes for MA State Senate". www.dylanfernandes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  15. ^ "Representative Dylan A. Fernandes". malegislature.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  16. ^ "Massachusetts State Senate Plymouth and Barnstable District". Ballotopedia. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  17. ^ "The race is on: State Senator Moran announces she will not run for re-election". CAI Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
  18. ^ a b "Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  19. ^ "Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia". Retrieved 2024-12-11.
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