Why the Senate needs Dylan Fernandes

But please don’t buy the argument at the heart of his campaign: that he will bring balance to a Democratic-dominated and often frustratingly opaque legislature.

There are only four Republicans in the 40-member Senate. Adding a fifth doesn’t balance anything. And even if the Republican Party somehow gained six or seven seats, it wouldn’t make any difference.

Massachusetts is a Democratic state. And thank goodness for that.

While Republican lawmakers across the country are shutting down access to abortion and the oil and gas companies are complying, Democrats in Massachusetts are moving in the opposite direction.

They have advanced major climate legislation and codified abortion rights.

And in August, the Legislature passed a sweeping $5.2 billion housing bond bill to help address Massachusetts’ escalating housing crisis — setting aside large sums for affordable housing and accessory dwelling units, or “granny flats,” across the country. state are legalized, in a crucial effort to increase supply. and bring prices down.

Can Democrats still pass this kind of legislation with a few Republicans still in the legislature? Certainly.

But it’s still a bad idea to vote for a Republican in your House or Senate district when a solid Democratic alternative exists.

The Democrats are the dominant party. That means Democratic lawmakers shape the legislation. So you want a Democrat to represent you — who can influence both the most consequential public policies and the details that matter most to the district.

Democratic state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, Muratore’s opponent in the Senate battle between Plymouth and Barnstable, is promising to exert just that kind of influence — at an especially crucial time for the district.

Efforts are underway to replace the Bourne and Sagamore bridges – and there will be plenty of impacts to bridge construction; a nuclear power plant is being dismantled in the region; coastal communities must prepare for rising seas; and the housing crisis is especially acute in the neighborhood.

“The decisions (made) in the next four years … will impact us for the next century,” Fernandes said in a recent interview with the Globe editorial board, and the district needs “a seat at the table.”

As a state representative, Fernandes has proven he can deliver and has brought home millions fishermen and other ingredients.

He is also a creative thinker; During his conversation with the editors, he put forward far-reaching ideas on everything from the design of the Bourne Bridge to the commuter rail service to the Cape and so-called ‘nature-based’ solutions to climate change.

And he has shown that he can go one step further in times of crisis.

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew a group of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard two years ago in a cruel anti-immigration stunt, Fernandes emerged as a sharp critic of the move and a steady hand for the island community.

This is the kind of young leader voters should embrace — not ignore a meaningless gesture of poise on Beacon Hill.

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David Scharfenberg can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @dscharfGlobe.