Supervisor candidate Gary Simpson has the backing of Harold Moskowite, the man whose job he hopes to take.

On Thursday Moskowite, the incumbent member of the Napa County Board of Supervisors representing the district including south Napa, Coombsville and American Canyon, said he thinks the former Napa County sheriff should be his successor.

“Gary Simpson is the clear choice for county supervisor because his extensive experience and knowledge of county government give him a solid grasp of the key issues facing this district and this county,” Moskowite said in a prepared statement.

Simpson is in a runoff for Moskowite’s seat against former American Canyon Fire Chief Keith Caldwell.

Caldwell was the top vote-getter in the June primary, getting 34 percent to Simpson’s 30 percent.

Napa County Planning Commissioner Rich Jager, who last month threw his support to Simpson, and American Canyon City Councilmember Cindy Coffey finished third and fourth, respectively.

Since no candidate earned a majority of the vote, the top two are in a runoff.

Similarly, incumbent Supervisor Mark Luce and top challenger Harry Martin are in a Nov. 4 runoff for the District 2 seat.

Moskowite is retiring from the board of supervisors.

In Tuesday’s announcement, Moskowite said, “I have always been impressed by Gary’s work in this community as county sheriff. He already has the necessary skills to be an effective county supervisor, including managing a multi-million dollar budget, managing a large staff, and handling tough negotiations between varying organizations.”

Caldwell said Tuesday he was disappointed that he didn’t have a chance to talk to Moskowite about his endorsement, but said he was “not that surprised” by Moskowite’s choice.

“I would certainly have liked the chance to talk to Harold before his decision, just as I would have liked to talk to Rich (Jager)” before he endorsed Simpson.

But Caldwell noted that he recently picked up the endorsement of Napa County Planning Commissioner Jim King and said that, in any case, “We don’t think it is all about endorsements.”

Caldwell said he’s gearing up for more door-to-door campaigning. “We’re getting ready to wear out our shoes again,” he said.

Caldwell worked for the American Canyon Fire District for more than 26 years and was chief for 17, retiring last year. He easily carried American Canyon, which is home to about half of District 5’s registered voters, in the June primary.

Simpson spent 37 years in local law enforcement, first with the Napa Police Department and then with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office. He was the elected Napa County Sheriff for 20 years, retiring in 2006. In June he was the top vote-getter in parts of the district including Napa and Coombsville.

In a prepared statement, Simpson said, “Harold understands the ins and outs of this job and the fact that he sees me as having the experience necessary to be an effective supervisor means a great deal.”