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
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]
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.
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]
