“First he was in, then he was out, and now — following surgery — he’s back in.Clinton Democrat Tom Fisher announced this week that he’s back in the running for the District 1 Island County Commissioner seat presently held by Republican Mike Shelton.To face Shelton in November, Fisher first has to beat Democrat William Rowlands in the September primary. Ironically, Rowlands only filed when he learned in late July that Fisher was dropping out of the race because he had prostate cancer.As a result, Rowlands is the only Democrat whose name will appear on the Sept. 19 primary election ballot. So Fisher will have to try to beat him as a write-in candidate.Fisher underwent prostate surgery last week, and felt so good a few days layter that he announced he’s back in the race as a write-in. But he had been pondering the move for days prior to the surgery.Fisher explained that when he decided not to run, he thought the recovery period from the surgery would be longer. Instead of months, he’s now anticipating a few weeks. “It’s going to be hard to keep a lid on things for the six weeks I’m supposed to keep a lid on things,” he said. He anticipated he could begin a limited schedule and attend a few meetings in only two weeks, although most of his primary campaign will have to be done “with signs and phone work.”Write-in candidates seldom win elections because of the difficulty of educating voters on the need to write a name on the ballot. But Fisher thinks he can be an exception because of the support he said he is receiving from fellow Democrats.One staunch supporter is Fisher’s long-time friend Steve Shapiro, a retired physician, owner of Island Athletic Club in Freeland and member of the county-appointed Freeland Subarea Planning Committee.“I had no reluctance in supporting Tom (Fisher),” Shapiro said. “But I had a little reluctance in not supporting Mike (Shelton).” He said Fisher’s strong environmental views, including support for the Growth Management Act, give him the edge. Shelton, Shapiro said, “resisted implementation of the GMA.”According to Fisher, Rowlands, a semi-retired engineer and former real estate broker, doesn’t have much support among local Democrats. “He talks about his personal struggles,” he said. Rowlands often speaks of a long child custody battle that he lost in Island County Superior Court.Rowlands did not immediately return a phone call, but he appears to be actively seeking the office. The female voice on his answering machine is from “Campaign headquarters for citizens to elect William Bradford Rowlands … keep Island County green.”If Fisher wins the primary, his name will then appear on the general election ballot in November. Loann Gullick, elections officer in the Island County Auditor’s Office, said Monday that to earn a place on the ballot, the write-in candidate must receive more primary votes than anyone else in his party, and must also obtain at least one percent of all the votes cast for the position. Four years ago, the District 1 primary election for county commissioner attracted about 5,300 voters.Fisher, like Rowlands, has never run for office before. He owns a cabinet- and furniture-making business and is well known in the South Whidbey arts community. Although equally inexperienced in politics, Fisher thinks he has a better chance than Rowlands of beating Shelton in the general election.“I didn’t feel the Democratic side was truly represented,” he said Monday. “I felt our opportunity slipping away.” But he added he’s not specifically targeting either Rowlands or Shelton.“I’m not running against either of them,” he said. “I’m running for myself.” “