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By
Pamela Stallsmith
Times-Dispatch
Staff Writer
At
a Capitol news conference, the former state lawmaker and U.S. representative
from Fairfax announced she had received the backing of the Virginia Police
Benevolent Association and Virginia Professional Firefighters.
Byrne,
a favorite of labor unions during her 20-year political career, pointed to how
her Republican rival, state Sen. Bill Bolling of Hanover, voted against last
year's $1.4 billion tax package that included more money for law enforcement.
"The
fact remains that you can't have public safety on the cheap," she said.
Recent
polls suggest the lieutenant governor's race in the Nov. 8 election is tight.
Byrne,
whose 59th birthday was yesterday, is the lone Democratic statewide candidate
endorsed by the police benevolent association.
The
group is backing GOP candidates Jerry W. Kilgore for governor and Robert F.
McDonnell for attorney general. The firefighters' union supports all three
Democratic candidates.
Jason
Knorowski, the association's Southeast Virginia chapter chairman, said Bolling
missed their interview, and only candidates or their surrogates who appear
before them can be considered for endorsement.
Randy
Marcus, Bolling's campaign manager, said the Republican couldn't attend the
meeting because of a previously scheduled trip to Southwest Virginia.
"I
wish we could have made their interview, but we were not aware it was mandatory
to be considered," he said.
Marcus
described Byrne's record on crime as "terrible" and said their
campaign is proud of its endorsement by the Fraternal Order of Police.