Ted Chen
After a long, often acrimonious campaign, voters in Los Angeles County have elected the first female and the first African-American to lead the district attorney's office. Lead Deputy Jackie Lacey will replace her retiring boss Steve Cooley. Ted Chen reports from Downtown LA for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2012.
District Attorney Steve Cooley’s second in command Jackie Lacey extablished a comfortable lead over fellow prosecutor Alan Jackson Tuesday night on her way to become the first African-American and woman to lead the Los Angeles County D.A.'s office.
Lacey is expected to deliver her victory speech later Wednesday morning.
Lacey was ahead of her opponent Alan Jackson, the assistant head deputy of the Major Crimes Division, 55 percent to 45 percent with about 43 percent of precincts reporting early Wednesday.
"As wise man once told me, I would be a better person after running for district attorney," Lacey said. "Steve Cooley, you were right again. I have learned that sometimes what looks like the impossible is just difficult."
Throughout the campaign, Jackson has tried to portray his opponent as an out-of-touch bureaucrat.
Lacey touts her administrative experience, her 26-years in the DA’s Office, rising through the ranks from a front-line prosecutor to the second in command of the office.
Both Jackson and Lacey support the death penalty but differ on California’s three strikes law, which Jackson opposes. Voters on Tuesday had a chance to repeal both of those laws.
