Alex Fisch’s response was both brilliant and succinct, the two smartest gifts a politician can pack.

Question: How do you distinguish yourself from the field of candidates seeking two City Council seats in April?

 “Expertise,” said Mr. Fisch.

“Expertise, and the tools that are required of a good City Council member.”

A deputy state attorney general charged with safeguarding air, water and other natural resources, “I am a lawyer by trade,” he said. “I used to be a corporate bankruptcy lawyer. Now I am an environmental lawyer for the state.”

Not all moments are glamourous in Mr. Fisch’s profession.

“I can read a lonnnng, boring document and distill what matters,” he said. “That is key.”

Mr. Fisch talked about people who disagree.

“People can think all sorts of things,” he said. “We all have our ideologies.”

However, Mr. Fisch said that beyond ideologies, “what really matters is understanding the facts, getting people’s perspectives and trying to do what is right for everybody.

“I think,” said Mr. Fisch, “that is what will set me apart.”

(To be continued)