Mark Who?

Mark Fisher does exist—and he is glad to offer proof.

The Constitution Party member who will face Republican incumbent David Craig in a duel for County Executive says he may not have the experience, but he does have the problem-solving capabilities the county needs. Even if some people are counting him out of the race well before the Nov. 2 general election.

"I guess I'm offering an approach. And the idea is that it'll be a little outside the box," says the aircraft engineer from Bel Air.

Fisher has lived in Harford County for 30 years, and says that he was not surprised to see Craig earn the Republican nomination Tuesday night.

"I guess that's what I expected, and what everyone was expecting," he says.

What did surprise him, though, was to see a local newspaper dismiss him from the race more than a month before it takes place.

The lead story in a local headline read: "Craig secures the exec job." The opening sentence of the same story also stated that "Republican voters gave Harford County Executive David Craig a strong sendoff to a second term Tuesday."

That was news to Fisher, who is not mentioned by name in the entire 2,366 word story.

"I just say it's inaccurate. And that's how an engineer answers that," Fisher says.

The only reference to Craig's challenger comes in the fifth paragraph of third subsection of the story:

"All that stands between Craig and four more years in the Nov. 2 general election is a third party candidate who will be on the ballot, but isn't given any chance to win," the story reads.

Even Craig acknowledges Fisher's presence.

"Now we know that the election's technically not over until November," the incumbent said in his primary victory speech Tuesday night. "So we're going to do this all over again. But it's a different kind of election coming up."

"I thought we'd maybe get a fair shake in the [local newspaper]," Fisher says. "The last thing they said, 'I had a scant chance and I wasn't worth considering.' So I'll assume from that they will never print another thing about me if they're going to be true to what they say. … I probably don't even expect them to take my money for an ad."

The engineer does believe, though, that this inaccuracy may help him.

"I think they're endangering their existence from their own word by not being fair and balanced. … I think that helps me actually because people know it's not the truth," he says. "There's enough people that know that there's another candidate out there."

Despite the lack of attention Fisher is getting from some areas of Harford County, he is optimistic about spreading his message.

"Somebody with an engineering background can come up with options," Fisher says.  "[Craig] has the record and I have a plan."

Fisher adds that he would bring a fresh approach to office and be more detail-oriented than the people he disdainfully refers to as politicians.

"I'm going to look at the details. I'm getting into that job not to cut ribbons, not to go to dinners," says Fisher, who also expressed concern for future generations.

"I want to stay here. I want to retire here. I want to make it affordable for my children and grandchildren."