The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday endorsed L.A. City Councilman and former L.A. police chief Bernard Parks for county Supervisor.

The long-awaited move came five months after the L.A. County Federation of Labor endorsed Parks’ opponent, state Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas for the second supervisorial district seat. The two have been locked in a tight race to replace Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, who is retiring after serving 16 years on the board. Parks has generally been considered the more business-friendly candidate.

The chamber initially sidestepped an endorsement as the executive committee in March decided to pass the matter on to the full board. On Thursday, at least 60 percent of the 63 board members present voted to endorse Parks. The full chamber board has 109 members.

“Bernard Parks’ steadfast commitment to business retention, economic development and promoting fiscal responsibility in government tipped the scales to his advantage,” said Gary Toebben, chief executive of the chamber, in a statement after the vote.