Despite the addition of two new candidates to the race for Collier County sheriff, the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police is standing by its man.

On Oct. 4, the state FOP, the largest union for law enforcement officers in Florida, officially announced its endorsement of private investigator Victor Ortino for Collier County sheriff.

Since then, the incumbent, Sheriff Don Hunter, announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2008 and two new candidates have thrown their hats into the mix, including current Undersheriff Kevin Rambosk.

Still, James W. Preston, president of the state FOP, said he has no intention of rethinking the endorsement.

“Loyalty and ethics come into play here,” Preston said. “We’ve made our endorsement and we stand by it. ... I’m going to remain loyal to the candidate that we picked.”

Not everyone thinks that endorsement is fair. At his announcement ceremony on Oct. 11, Rambosk said he believed the endorsement was premature.

“It doesn’t mean anything to my campaign,” Rambosk said. “I wasn’t even a candidate at the time. ... To endorse a candidate without asking the differences between the candidates really does not make any common sense to me.”

In an interview with the television station NBC-2, Chris Jordan, vice president of the Collier County FOP lodge, questioned how and why the state FOP made the endorsement.

“I was shocked when I heard the news that the state FOP endorsed Mr. Ortino for sheriff, or any candidate for that matter,” Jordan told NBC-2, adding, “I have no idea why anybody in our organization would speak on behalf of the organization without the organization as a whole.”

When contacted by the Daily News, Jordan said he couldn’t comment any longer on the endorsement.

Chuck Smith, president of the Collier FOP, said he had no comment on the endorsement.

“The position of the FOP here in Collier County is we don’t respond to the media,” Smith said.

Smith said his lodge cannot speak for the state FOP, but Preston said the local lodge wanted the state to make an endorsement.

Some deputies may have fear of retribution if they make an endorsement the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t like.

“They were not going to make an endorsement,” Preston said. “They were seceding that right to the state lodge.”

Ortino, who announced his candidacy in March, said the state FOP’s endorsement wasn’t premature.

Prospective candidates have until June 2008 to announce if they are running, and it wouldn’t be realistic to expect the FOP to wait until then to make its endorsement, he said. The primary election will be held in August.

“Are they going to wait for the deadline in June?” Ortino asked. “Then you’d have two months to make use of what they had to say.”

Ortino said he believes Hunter decided to announce that he wasn’t seeking re-election because of Ortino’s endorsement.

That’s not true, Hunter said.

Hunter said he chose to make the announcement on Oct. 8 because the story would be published the next day, his and his twin daughters’ birthday. Hunter was in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 9 for a meeting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“I can’t remember when I heard about the endorsement,” Hunter said. “I think it was over the weekend, but I had already made plans to make my announcement on Monday.”

Hunter said he has never sought the FOP’s endorsement.

Vinny Angiolillo, the owner of Class Act Limousine in North Naples who announced his candidacy for sheriff on Oct. 8, said he has no objection to the endorsement.

“I’m glad he’s getting supported by them. Good for him,” Angiolillo said. “I have no intention of rocking anybody’s campaign boat. I’m in it for the voters’ support.”

Preston said he would be happy to speak to both Rambosk and Angiolillo any time, but has no intention of rescinding the endorsement.

So far, he said, Ortino has been the only candidate to approach the FOP.

“The endorsement builds momentum,” Preston said. “We don’t take our endorsements lightly.”