The Massachusetts primary is next Thursday, Sept. 8. Five candidates are vying in the Democratic primary for the state representative seat now held by retiring Rep. Timothy Madden; two other candidates not enrolled in any party will appear on the November ballot. The Gazette emailed customized questionnaires to each announced candidate for office asking them to answer two general questions: why Martha’s Vineyard voters should elect them and what their qualifications were for office. The legislative candidates were also asked about their priorities.

Dylan Fernandes
Falmouth Democrat
State Representative Candidate

Statement

Over the course of this campaign, my team and I have knocked on over 3,000 doors in Martha’s Vineyard, meeting residents on their porches and in their living rooms, hearing about their concerns and connecting with them in a very personal way that reflects how I will engage residents here if elected. I have heard clearly that the people of Martha’s Vineyard want a representative with a firm understanding of the Island and its unique challenges. But they also want someone who can deliver on the challenges we face.

I’m the only candidate with experience working on the state level in politics and public service. And that experience and the relationships I’ve forged up there matter when it comes to getting the job done for our local communities. Too often politicians on Beacon Hill look down on our region and only see beaches and lighthouses. They fail to recognize the serious issues we have here around housing, the environment, and the opioid and heroin epidemic — just to name a few.

Qualifications

As a fourth-generation Falmouth resident and the son of small business owners in the district, I understand the seasonal complexities of our local economy. I’ve long been active in politics and public service. I was a staffer on the South Coast for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. More recently, I served as Attorney General Maura Healey’s political director running her statewide field staff and new media teams. I then went into the Attorney General’s Office. As a civil rights and consumer protection mediator, I worked to protect those ripped off by unscrupulous businesses and those discriminated against in housing, employment and retail. As the AG’s digital director, I launched innovative advocacy campaigns, fighting for environmental stewardship, supporting LGBTQ equality and combating the stigma of opioid and heroin addiction.

Priorities

Lack of affordable housing is driving seniors, young people, and working families out of our community.

Environmental degradation, sea level rise, and water pollution are threatening our environment which drives our economy.

An opioid and heroin epidemic is ravaging our families and our communities.

Crushing student loan debt is forcing our young people to look for jobs in the city rather than start a business here on the Cape.

Limited transportation and resources are making it harder for our seniors to live in the community that they helped to build.