by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Wednesday’s Fraternal Order of Police luncheon provided citizens, candidates for public office and elected officials a place to discuss the topics of the day.
Support was a topic for a lot of the candidates for public office who were in attendance. An FOP endorsement gives candidates the support of its 3,000 members locally.
“Support from organizations is important,” said City Council member Mia Jones, who is running for the State Rep. Dist. 14 seat. “It allows the organization to take a position, but at the same time allows its membership to vote how they want to.”
The FOP has announced its support for a wide number of candidates including candidate for State Attorney Angela Corey — who couldn’t attend the meeting because of a debate with Chief Assistant State Attorney Jay Plotkin — Mike Weinstein, who’s running for State Rep. Dist. 19, and incumbent School Board member Tommy Hazouri.
“The FOP’s support gives credibility to my candidacy,” said Weinstein. “The campaign also benefits from the volunteers and signage that the organization provides. They know I’ll be a good representative for them in Tallahassee.”
Hazouri has been able to develop a relationship with the FOP during his terms as mayor of Jacksonville and the Florida House of Representatives.
“They recognize my commitment to the safety of our schools,” said Hazouri of the FOP’s endorsement of his re-election campaign. “The School Board works on a daily basis with the Sheriff’s Office to provide a safe environment in our schools.”
FOP President Nelson Cuba was also acknowledged for being named State Organization’s Member of the Year. The award was presented at the state FOP conference in St. Petersburg, which ended June 21.
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