Lorain police union endorses Tomlinson for prosecutor

(This story has been updated.)LORAIN — The Fraternal Order of Police Lorain Lodge No. 3, which represents Lorain Police Department personnel, has endorsed Democratic candidate and defense attorney JD Tomlinson for Lorain County prosecutor. In a letter dated Wednesday, Lodge President Kyle Gelenius informed Tomlinson the union was endorsing him in the March 17 primary. The union did the same four years ago when Tomlinson ran a losing campaign against incumbent Prosecutor Dennis Will, who is seeking a fifth term. "Our members carefully evaluated your experience and your vision for the future of the criminal justice system in Lorain County," Gelenius wrote. "We feel that your enthusiasm and ideas bring a much needed change and a renewed vigor to this position. Your communication skills alone make you the right choice for this office." On Friday, Tomlinson called the endorsement "a big deal for me." He said his years of working in the criminal justice system means he's been able to communicate "effectively and respectfully" with first responders in Lorain County. "I take these endorsements very serious and I'm proud of them. To have the biggest municipal police department union say 'Hey, we want you,' is a huge honor for me," he said. "They believe that I believe Lorain County residents are safe with me." The winner of the contest between Will and Tomlinson will face Republican Robert Gargasz of Lorain in November. Will and the Lorain police union have had a sometimes contentious relationship. In 2016, the FOP had been critical of Will over the failure to take charges of public corruption among city officials to a grand jury and over how his office handled some criminal cases. Will, who served on the Elyria Police Department for 25 years before retiring with the rank of captain, said Saturday that the Lorain police union's endorsement of Tomlinson was not unexpected. While his opponent was endorsed by the Lorain police union, Will received the endorsement of the Lorain County Chiefs Law Enforcement Association and Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti. Tomlinson said his issues are not with Will personally, but "I would just do things differently." "Every person in the criminal justice system is necessary, so that's why I feel comfortable going from defense attorney to prosecutor. It's not a big ideological jump. It's not a problem for me." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.