March 29, 2024
Local News

Fricilone earns Chicago police union endorsement in Congressional race

Mike Fricilone, the Republican nominee for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District, secured the endorsement of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7.

Fricilone, R-Homer Glen, who also serves as minority leader on the Will County Board, also boasts support from other law enforcement labor unions, including the Will County Deputy Sheriffs Union.

“Mike Fricilone is the public safety candidate in the race to replace outgoing Congressman Dan Lipinski,” John Catanzara, the president of the Chicago FOP, said in a news release.

Catanzara also lauded Fricilone for writing a letter of support for law enforcement as the country has witnessed calls for police reform and civil unrest in response to Minneapolis police killing George Floyd earlier this year.

“We rely on the men and women who wear police uniforms to keep our families and neighborhoods safe from violence and crime,” Fricilone said in the release. “Each day that law enforcement officers go to work, their loved ones pray for their safe return home.”

Fricilone is running against Democratic nominee Marie Newman to represent a district that includes Crest Hill, Homer Glen, Lockport and Romeoville and runs to the southwest side of Chicago.

Fricilone also claimed, without evidence, that Newman supports defunding the police. On her website, Newman calls for reforms to end police brutality and racial profiling and to create more oversight mechanisms of police departments but does not advocate for defunding the police.

Alex Ortiz

Alex Ortiz

Alex Ortiz is a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet. Originally from Romeoville, Ill., he joined The Herald-News in 2017 and mostly covers Will County government, politics, education and more. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree from Northwestern University.