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Tom Scheck

Several public safety groups endorse Rich Stanek for Hennepin County Sheriff

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Six public safety groups including the Hennepin County Sheriff Office Deputies Association, the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation, Police Officers Alliance of Minnesota and the Firefighters Association of Minneapolis local #82, endorsed Rich Stanek for Sheriff. Stanek, who is currently a Captain with the Minneapolis Police Department, is a former Republican State legislator and former Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner. Stanek touted his experience at the news conference:

"The groups today that have announced their support of my candidacy represent the people who patrol our streets, put out fires, and help us with medical emergencies. They know it takes experience, leadership, and the ability to bring people together to keep us safe at home, work, and in our schools."

Stanek resigned his post as Public Safety Commissioner under pressure in 2004 for racist comments he made in 1992. When asked what he would say to people who had concerns about those comments, Stanek said this:

"I have spent the last several years of my professional career building coalitions. I can't change that part of the past but I can tell I've learned a lot. I can tell you I reached out to a number of folks. I can tell you that the co-chairs of my campaign, the workers who are here today, pounding on signs, knocking on doors, supporting me, they are broad based. They are real people. They're concerned about crime and race, gender, creed, ethnicity cuts across those boundaries. It's about keeping the people of Hennepin County safe."

There are six candidates running for Hennepin County Sheriff. Juan Lopez has the DFL endorsement and works with juvenile offenders in Hennepin County. Bruce Anderson is a 28-year veteran of the Orono police department. Tom Fitzhenry has been a police officer for the City of Richfield for 28 years. Linda Lachner of Maple Grove and Daniel Rusch of Tonka Bay are also running. The top two vote getters in the September primary move on to the November election.