Sheldon: Glendale FOP explains endorsement process

With Election Day fast approaching, many of us in Arizona and local law enforcement have spent time vetting candidates for office. In Glendale, where only two City Council races are contested, we believe two candidates have shown a consistent commitment to public safety.

Because of that, Ian Hugh and Dianna Guzman have earned the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest law enforcement organization.

Hugh, who has served the city for many years, stands head and shoulders above his challenger, Lupe Conchas. Hugh has long supported Glendale’s cops and firefighters, advocating for necessary budget dollars and adequate personnel and training for the city’s first responders.

Conchas has painted himself as a law enforcement advocate, but his arrest at an anti-ICE rally and his alignment with socialist causes render that patently unbelievable. Also, Conchas’ proposal to have the city distribute needles to IV drug users is a non-starter from a police perspective.

In the race to represent the Yucca District, Guzman earned the FOP endorsement over Lupe Encinas. This decision was based on the candidates’ questionnaire responses, which were both steadfast in supporting police, and on Guzman’s public support from Joyce Clark, the longtime Yucca council representative.

The FOP’s membership responded very positively to Guzman’s platform, including her commitment to advocate for more resources for the Glendale Police Department and her desire to build stronger relationships between cops and the community.

They also responded well to Guzman's stated support of police. But coupling Guzman's platform with Clark’s full-throated endorsement is what put Guzman over the top.

Public safety is the top issue in our city, or so all of us who work on the frontl ines believe. Please consider joining the members of the state FOP in voting for Ian Hugh and Dianna Guzman between now and July 30.

Paul Sheldon is the president of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police