A challenger beat the incumbent president of Chicago's largest police union Wednesday in a contentious election that could sway the future of the police department, reports the Chicago Tribune .

Kevin Graham beat Dean Angelo Sr. in a runoff election for a three-year term at the helm of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, said Anne Kavanagh, a spokeswoman for the union.

Graham took about 56% to Angelo's 44%, Kavanagh said.

Graham, a staunch critic of outside intervention in the department and efforts to strengthen officer discipline, will take the helm of the department's most influential police union at a moment of uncertainty and consequence.

The FOP — which represents the wide majority of the department's approximately 12,000 officers — is heading into a contract negotiation later this year.

Graham, a 22-year veteran patrol officer assigned to the Town Hall police district on the North Side, sought to position himself as an opponent of outside intervention in the department and criticized Angelo for failing to more aggressively resist the Justice investigation. Graham has slammed the media for allegedly lying about police misconduct claims and applauded Sessions' move to review the federal government's reform agreements with local police agencies. He also said he disagreed with Emanuel and Supt. Eddie Johnson's pledges to pursue police reform, despite Sessions' views.