Updated, September 4

Arielle Faria, a West Tisbury progressive and housing activist, won all of the Vineyard towns in Tuesday’s primary for the state House seat that represents the islands and part of Falmouth. But even though the Vineyard won about half the vote, it wasn’t enough.

Thomas Moakley, the young Democrat from Falmouth, won overwhelmingly in the three mainland districts. The assistant district attorney for the Cape and Islands Attorney General’s Office secured nearly 80 percent of the Falmouth vote.

With no Republican running in the general election, Moakley’s victory on Tuesday will effectively secure a House seat in January, replacing four-term Rep. Dylan Fernandes, who is running for the Senate.

Amid applause from his supporters, Moakley announced at a packed bar in Woods Hole Tuesday night that he had received congratulations from the chairman of the state Democratic Committee and Governor Maura Healey.

“I couldn’t have done it without all the people in this room and the incredible hard work,” Moakley told his supporters at Captain Kidd.

Moakley also congratulated Faria on her successful campaign and promised to work with her on housing and other regional issues.

“I’m looking forward to when the real work begins, when we start turning these campaign issues and ideas into actual legislation,” Moakley said. The Falmouth Democrat told the Times that housing, affordability, Steamship Authority reliability and combating the opioid epidemic will be his top priorities in the state House.

Faria won 54 percent of the vote in Edgartown with 340 votes, nearly 60 percent of the vote in Oak Bluffs with 424 votes, 63 percent in West Tisbury with 258 votes, 60 percent in Tisbury with 422 votes, 61 percent in Chilmark with 220 votes and 68 percent in Aquinnah with 81 votes.

But in Falmouth, Moakley won in his hometown with 1,746 votes compared to Farias’ 453 votes.

While the unofficial result from Nantucket was released later that evening, the race was effectively over by the time Falmouth’s numbers came in. Moakely ultimately won the sister island with 476 votes to Faria’s 315.

Town clerks reported low turnout in the primary, which was no surprise since the state House of Representatives race was the only contested local race. Edgartown reported a turnout of less than 20 percent.

For Faria, it was her first attempt at running for state office. In a statement to the Times on Wednesday morning, the progressive Democrat – who secured the endorsement of Boston Congresswoman Ayana Pressley as well as several progressive political groups – said she is not done with her work for the Vineyard community.

“This is not the end – it’s just the beginning,” she said, thanking her supporters and congratulating Moakley. “I am committed to serving this community in any way I can, and I know that if we work side by side, we will continue to make progress.”

For Vineyard voters, who make up nearly 50 percent of the vote, Faria would have been the island’s first representative since the seat was redistricted in 1989. (The seat previously represented the Outer Cape and Islands, not parts of Falmouth. Terrance McCarthy was the last islander before redistricting and last held the office in the late 1970s.) According to the Massachusetts House of Representatives’ office, Faria would have been not only the first woman to represent the island in the House, but also the first queer woman of color.

“We’re going to work together and do what’s best for this community,” Faria told supporters gathered at Art Cliff in Vineyard Haven on Tuesday night. “And he’s worked hard. We’ve both worked really hard. And I support him moving forward because I care about this community.”

“Campaigning is not for the faint of heart… I’ve lost 30 pounds,” Faria added. “I’m doing it because I really care about our community and our people – not just a people, not just a group or nationality.”

Moakley led a campaign to make Falmouth and the islands more sustainable – in the face of rising costs of houses and goods and also in the face of climate change.

This was not his first run for state office. He ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2020 to represent Upper Cape and Plymouth County, but ultimately lost in the primary to Democrat Sue Moran of Falmouth. Moran served four years in the Senate but is not seeking re-election this year; Fernandes – who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary – will be on the Democratic ballot in November.

Moakley grew up in Falmouth, where he attended public schools. His parents met on a NOAA research vessel off Woods Hole, where his father worked. Moakley went on to attend Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and pursued a career in the State Department. When Donald Trump was elected president, the government wasn’t very interested in hiring diplomats, so Moakley says he eventually returned to his hometown and began working in the local district attorney’s office.

Daniel Greenman and Eunki Seonwoo contributed to this report.