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Selected Officials
Lodge 7 steps up its political action with support of candidates who will be loud and proud advocates for the police
Pat O’Brien promises to get the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office back to the job of prosecuting criminals.
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
The roar coming from Chicago Lodge 7 is not just John Cat- anzara. The candidness of President John has inspired fire and brimstone for the Chicago FOP to become a vociferous and formidable political action group motivated by its new admin- istration to do what the best political action groups do: build coalitions with candidates who look out for their interests.
Wielding an almighty political action fund and endorsement power increasing every day, Chicago Lodge 7 has become a gladiator in the political arena. An astounding show of force came with an endorsement of President Trump that he recog- nized during his campaign rally in Pennsylvania at the end of September.
An even more impressive political act is brewing with the support of Pat O’Brien for Cook County state’s attorney. The Lodge didn’t just jump on the #FireKimFoxx bandwagon with its endorsement of O’Brien; it has taken the wheel to help this Republican challenger not only mount a serious threat to the machine, but bump him ahead by as much as 30 percent in some county districts.
The FOP is also putting its money where its mouth is to back CPD Detective Jeff Muehlfelder for the State House and retired U.S. Army Colonel Sargis Sangari for the U.S. House, two allies who will defend the police against the defunders in state and federal government. Lodge 7 is standing up to Madigan and the machine by supporting candidates like Brad Stephens to be a state rep and Mike Fricilone to be a U.S. rep.
Catanzara commissioned a committee to combine political action and legislative followup that has upgraded the FOP’s en- dorsement expertise and savvy. Like the Teamsters, Afscme, the UAW and, yes, the Chicago Teachers Union, Lodge 7 knows that the ability to have a voice of nearly 20,000 strong – plus families and friends – will overwhelmingly impact each member’s life.
“We haven’t flexed our muscles as a union, so this is going to be our first race,” proclaimed Brock Merck, the Lodge 7 trustee who is leading the new political action and legislative commit-
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tee. “The lion has been awakened. We intend to roar. We intend to be loud and active in order to get law-and-order candidates into office.”
Standing for Pat
There has been no more definitive flexing for Lodge 7 than the Foxx hunt with O’Brien. Though there was no preexisting re-