Fraternal Order of Police endorses 9 for council

The Fraternal Order of Police Queen City Lodge No. 69 will endorse nine candidates for Cincinnati City Council, union leaders said today. They are:

• Jeff Berding, Democrat
• Chris Bortz, Charterite
• John Cranley, Democrat
• John Eby, Republican
• Leslie Ghiz, Republican
• Sam Malone, Republican
• Chris Monzel, Republican
• Cecil Thomas, Democrat
• Wendell P. Young, Democrat

The count: four Democrats, four Republicans and a Charterite. All but Cranley, Malone and Monzel are non-incumbents. And interestingly, the list includes two former police officers, Thomas and Young.

The FOP endorsement is among the most coveted in town -- not because of the votes of FOP members, but because many voters consider it a seal of approval for tough-on-crime candidates.

"The days of handing the FOP endorsement out like trick-or-treat candy -- and getting nothing in return -- are long over," said FOP Vice President Keith Fangman, who also chairs the endorsement committee. "A major part of fighting crime is to have the political support behind the cops. ... The voters want to know who the police trust and respect. And they also want to know which politicians support the police."

Dropped from the slate this year is Charterite Jim Tarbell, who had enjoyed the FOP endorsement in the past. "It wasn't anything other than the fact that there is a large number of very well qualified people running, and that's really what it came down to. It's nothing against Jim Tarbell," Fangman said.

Fangman said the FOP endorsement committee would also revisit its endorsement in the mayor's race, after its preferred candidate -- former GOP Councilman Charlie Winburn -- came in third place in the Sept. 13 primary.