Jacob Ferreira is the only unenrolled candidate who will stay that way if he is elected.

“I entered this race without a party,” he said. “When I first registered to vote as an 18-year-old, I took that moment very seriously. I thought about at the time if I wanted to enroll with a party, and I couldn’t think of many things a party had done for my community, my family or myself.

“I don’t like labels,” he added, arguing that his military background has helped him think and act independently. “The reason being is because I came from a world that is pretty apolitical. In our decision-making process, you take in the best ideas, the best people and make the best decision. You take all the BS out of it. And that’s the way I’ve tried to do this. At the end of the day we have a system that is based on paralyzing partisanship. You elected these people to do a job for you and they’re not getting the job done.”

Mr. Ferreira says, without going into specifics, that he wants to look at ways of enhancing local control of the Steamship Authority, but he also wants to emphasize efficiencies on the boat line.

“Sixty per cent of the costs are wrapped up in labor,” he said, adding that some of the costs for travelers are becoming unbearable: “It’s an extension of the highways for Islanders. The SSA should better ingratiate themselves with the community.”

A priority for Mr. Ferreira is education: he praised Gov. Deval Patrick’s readiness project, and he would like to bring higher education opportunities to the Vineyard.

“It’s the most important part, because it’s real and tangible. There’s no degree completion or full degree program on-Island. One of the things I’ve done is looking at a partnership with my alma mater, Northeastern, to bring degree completion courses here. Two groups primarily that it could affect — one is public servants, the other is people in mid-career phase, parents who have sent their kids off to school and now they’re looking for a career change,” he said. He also points to seasonal residents looking for short courses and recent high school graduates.

Mr. Ferreira argues that being a 28-year-old newcomer to politics makes his candidacy no less valid.

“I’m as viable a candidate as those people,” he said.

He points to his time serving as admiral’s aide in the Coast Guard.

“The thing people don’t realize, unless you’re directly involved, is what the military offers. You’re given responsibilities on day one. You’re in on these strategic discussions. You have remarkable experience on that tour,” he said.

A 1998 graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Mr. Ferreira went into the Coast Guard with an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University, where he later received a master’s degree in leadership with a concentration in financial services.

“I always wanted to serve,” he said. “My uncle served and my grandfather — he was a member of the great generation.”

Mr. Ferreira finished active duty at the Coast Guard late in 2007 and remains in the reserves.

Returning to the Vineyard, he has partnered with a childhood friend in a gardening and private chef business.

“It’s a sustainable agriculture business where essentially we’re gardeners but we do a few different things,” he said.

He looked at various options, including nonprofit agencies and selectmen positions, before settling on the seat for state representative, even before Eric Turkington announced he would not be running again.

“I saw this as the most dynamic opportunity to pursue my priorities,” he said.

Mr. Ferreira also had a stint as a business analyst for a technology company in Westborough before quitting to focus on this campaign.

And if he doesn’t clinch the win next week, he said he would not be deterred from working on his top priorities of education, environment and the economy, and said that he would always be in public service.