BEVERLY Daniel Fishman wants to debunk a myth about Libertarians.

We dont believe in no government, we believe in smaller government, he said.

With no political experience but a strong belief in strengthening peoples civil liberties, Fishman, a 44-year-old Beverly Libertarian, is diving into the race for 6th Congressional District, going up against Democratic Congressman John Tierney of Salem and Republican challenger Richard Tisei.

Fishman has been gathering signatures since June, and says hes closing in on the 2,000 he needs to get on the November ballot. Cape Ann commuters might have seen him out at the Beverly or Salem train depots early in the morning; he said hes also getting help from Georgetown attorney Steven Epstein, whos spearheading his signature drive.

Fishman said he is running because he believes the federal government has become too powerful.

Whenever government acquires power, they are taking it from the people, he said.

He points to federal health care as a symptom of the majority imposing its will on the minority. He believes the Massachusetts model, on the other hand, was right minded, and that if other states want to follow suit, thats up to them.

Fishman says he was a Republican until 20 years ago. While he remains fiscally conservative, his views on social issues alienated him from that party, and he turned to Libertarianism.

He describes himself as very pro-choice. He believes people should have the right to own guns.

He offers this solution to the issue of same-sex marriage: Any couple who want to file taxes jointly must get a legally recognized civil union; then the couple may have their union recognized in whatever religious ceremony they choose.

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Libertarian joins race for Tierney seat