Dylan Fernandes

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Dylan Fernandes

| image = Dylan A. Fernandes.jpg

| state_senate = Massachusetts

| district = Plymouth and Barnstable

| term_start = January 1, 2025

| office1 = Member of the
Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket district

| term_start1 = January 4, 2017

| predecessor1 = Timothy Madden

| successor1 = Thomas Moakley

| party = Democratic

| education = College of Charleston (BS)
Harvard University (MPA)

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1989}}

| termend1 = January 1, 2025

| predecessor = Susan Moran

}}

Dylan A. Fernandes (born 1989){{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Samantha J. |date=2022-09-23 |title=Meet the 32-year-old state representative thrust into the national spotlight when migrants landed on Martha’s Vineyard |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/23/metro/meet-32-year-old-state-representative-thrust-into-national-spotlight-when-migrants-landed-marthas-vineyard/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=The Boston Globe |language=en-US}} Personal communication, June 13, 2024 is an American politician from Massachusetts. He is currently a member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Plymouth and Barnstable district. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dylanfernandes.com|title=Meet Dylan|website=Dylan Fernandes|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-16}} After the election, he worked in the Massachusetts Attorney General's office in civil rights, where he worked on cases combatting discrimination.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2016/2016-01-04-convenience-store-discrimination.html|title=Worcester-Based Convenience Store Chain Agrees to Pay Up to $25,000|date=2016-01-04|work=Attorney General of Massachusetts|access-date=2018-03-16|language=en|archive-date=2018-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316151826/http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2016/2016-01-04-convenience-store-discrimination.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dylanfernandes.com|title=Meet Dylan|website=Dylan Fernandes|language=en-US|access-date=2018-03-17}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dylan_A._Fernandes|title=Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia|access-date=2018-03-17|language=en-US}}

Early life and education

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.mvmagazine.com/news/2017/12/01/new-kid-house|title=New Kid in the House|date=1 December 2017|website=Mvmagazine.com|access-date=23 April 2018}} He is of Portuguese and Puerto Rican descent.

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.{{cite web |url=https://rappaportfoundation.org/fellow/dylan-fernandes/ |website=Phyllis & Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation |access-date=9 June 2022|title=Dylan Fernandes – Rappaport }}

Career

In 2012, Fernandes worked on Senator Elizabeth Warren's campaign in his native Cape Cod region.{{cite web |last1=Gross |first1=Samantha |title=Meet the 32-year-old state representative thrust into the national spotlight when migrants landed on Martha’s Vineyard - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/23/metro/meet-32-year-old-state-representative-thrust-into-national-spotlight-when-migrants-landed-marthas-vineyard/ |website=BostonGlobe.com |publisher=The Boston Globe |access-date=21 May 2025}} 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 womens' right, including the 'Everyone Welcome' campaign to support the bill for transgender rights.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

= 2016 State Representative election =

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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dylanfernandes.com|title=Meet Dylan|website=Dylan Fernandes|language=en-US|access-date=2017-04-13}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Spillane |first=Geoff |title=Big week for Fernandes at Statehouse |url=http://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20171103/big-week-for-fernandes-at-statehouse |access-date=2018-03-17 |work=capecodtimes.com |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |title=About {{!}} Dylan Fernandes for MA State Senate |url=https://www.dylanfernandes.com/about |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=www.dylanfernandes.com |language=en}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Representative Dylan A. Fernandes |url=https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/DAF1 |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=malegislature.gov}}

= 2024 State Senator election =

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.{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_State_Senate_Plymouth_and_Barnstable_District|title=Massachusetts State Senate Plymouth and Barnstable District|website=Ballotopedia|language=en-US|access-date=2024-12-11}} Democrat Susan Moran, the incumbent, did not run for reelection.{{Cite web|url=https://www.capeandislands.org/local-news/2023-11-30/the-race-is-on-state-senator-moran-announces-she-will-not-run-for-re-election|title=The race is on: State Senator Moran announces she will not run for re-election|website=CAI Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands|language=en-US|access-date=2024-12-11}}

= Electoral history=

class="wikitable"

|+2016 Democratic Primary{{Cite news |title=Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dylan_A._Fernandes |access-date=2017-04-13 |language=en}}

!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

class="wikitable"

|+2016 State Representative Seat

!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

class="wikitable"

|+2024 State Senator Seat{{Cite news |title=Dylan A. Fernandes - Ballotpedia |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Dylan_A._Fernandes |access-date=2024-12-11 |language=en}}

!Party

!Candidate

!Vote Percent

!Votes

Democrat

|Dylan Fernandes (won)

|51.0%

|57,953

Republican

|Mathew Moratore

|49.0%

|55,640