The Vineyard could have a new voice on Beacon Hill next year. 

State Rep. Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat who represents the Island in the statehouse, announced Thursday he will run for a mainland state senate seat in the 2024 election, leaving his seat without an incumbent in the upcoming race. His announcement came after Falmouth state Sen. Susan Moran said she would not run for reelection in order to seek the Barnstable County Superior Court clerk job. 

In a statement, Mr. Fernandes said he wanted to pursue a new challenge in a swing district in order to protect the environment, support attainable housing and address substance misuse and mental health challenges. The seat covers parts of several Upper Cape towns, including his hometown of Falmouth, and Plymouth County.

He also toasted his current district. 

“Representing Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket in the Massachusetts House of Representatives has been the honor of my life,” he said. “I love the islands, and the greatest joy is the friendships I have forged with so many people across Nantucket, the Vineyard, and Cuttyhunk.” 

With Mr. Fernandes running for senate, his house seat will be up for grabs. The state representative district includes the Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, Nantucket, and parts of Falmouth. 

Mr. Fernandes is in his fourth term. He was first elected in 2016, assuming the seat being vacated by state Rep. Timothy Madden of Nantucket, who decided not to run for reelection. In his six years in office, Mr. Fernandes pushed for the creation of an Island housing bank, worked to add a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and championed offshore wind.

In an interview with the Gazette Friday, Mr. Fernandes said he understood that this new district, which has a history of Republican candidates, would be more of a battle. 

“This is going to be a really challenging race. I’m very clear-eyed about that,” he said. “But I think it’s the next step in being able to work on the issues I care so much about.” 

Mr. Fernandes got into politics as an organizer for Elizabeth Warren in 2012, and served as Maura Healey’s political director on her campaign for attorney general. 

In its current configuration, the house seat now held by Mr. Fernandes has never been held by a Vineyarder. Eric Turkington, a Falmouth Democrat, held the seat from 1989 to 2009, when Mr. Madden took over. 

Island residents have run, though. Ewell Hopkins, an Oak Bluffs planning board member, ran in the 2016 primary against Mr. Fernandes, and Jacob Ferry, a West Tisbury resident, ran as an independent. 

Ms. Moran has served in the senate since 2019.