D.C. mayoral candidate David Catania (I) picked up a valuable endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police this week.
Most unions have been siding with Democrat Muriel Bowser -- most recently, she got the support of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO, which represents about 175 local unions in the region.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), which represents about 3,500 officers, announced their endorsement of Catania Wednesday morning.
In related news, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who has been on the job since 1997, told News4 Wednesday she would like to stay on as chief.
Bowser has said she would retain Lanier, and sources say Catania plans to do the same.
"I've always had a very productive and constructive relationship with Chief Lanier. She and I have a warm personal relationship," Catania said.
Carol Schwartz, also an Independent candidate for mayor, announced Tuesday night she's disappointed in the union's endorsement of Catania.
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“I had carried the banner of the FOP in the past with pride, but do know from conversations with several individual police officers that the only way anyone could have gotten their endorsement this time was to pledge that he or she would get rid of Chief of Police Cathy Lanier. I guess it all worked out okay because I would not have taken that pledge," Schwartz said in a statement.
The FOP has clashed with Lanier over work assignments and pay, but its representatives say Schwartz is wrong.
"She's flat-out wrong. We have no idea where she got that information from," FOP Chairman Delroy Burton said.
