Although DeBry shares a brotherhood with the county's law-enforcement officers, he was left out of their political endorsements this year as three sheriff's associations threw their support behind his civilian rival.

"To secure the endorsements of all three organizations is beyond an honor," Horiuchi said, "particularly when you consider that I am running against one of their own."

The Salt Lake County Deputy Sheriff's Federation and sheriff's chapters of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police and Utah Public Employees Association confirmed Thursday that they will back Horiuchi's re-election run.

DeBry isn't a member of any of those groups.

"This isn't an endorsement against Steve [DeBry]," insisted Kelly Atkinson, executive director of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police. "It is an endorsement for Randy [Horiuchi] and his strong record of protecting the public by providing police with the equipment they need."

Even so, the organizations' backing undercuts DeBry's campaign. As a 27-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, he has touted his law-enforcement expertise for dealing with the county's most pressing police issues.

DeBry dismissed the endorsements as political, noting that they come from a Democrat-led Sheriff's Office to a Democratic candidate. The only endorsement he wants, DeBry added, is from "the people."

"If he has those endorsements, so be it," DeBry said. "But I know the reasons behind it. Those organizations are very much aligned with Sheriff Winder and were instrumental in getting him elected."

The Deputy Sheriff's Federation indeed supported Democratic Sheriff Jim Winder in his successful 2006 campaign - not surprising, perhaps, for an organization that Winder helped form. The other two labor associations, however, endorsed Winder's GOP opponent, Aaron Kennard.

Yet DeBry's platform has rested largely on philosophy that has little to do with law enforcement: term limits. He has criticized Horiuchi's lengthy political record, which includes two terms as a county commissioner and two more as a county councilman.

"He has got to go," DeBry said. "He has been in there way too long. It is a bad, unhealthy relationship for everybody."

Meanwhile, Horiuchi is plugging his public-safety victory from organizations that describe him as a friend to law enforcement. All three say Horiuchi has ushered in better equipment, higher wages and improved benefits.

jstettler@sltrib.com