Veteran prosecutor Jackie Lacey led a field of six candidates vying to replace Steve Cooley as Los Angeles County District Attorney, forcing a runoff with colleague Alan Jackson and eliminating City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.

Links: Election Results | More Decision 2012

In an upset that surprised some observers, Lacey took 32 percent of the vote with all precincts reporting. Fellow prosecutor Alan Jackson came next, with 23.7 percent of the vote, and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich had 22.3 percent.

Lacey will enter the November race with a good chance of becoming the first African-American woman to hold the post of District Attorney in L.A. County. She'll also be the first woman of any race to hold the office.

Over a two-decade career in the D.A.’s office, Lacey rose through the ranks to become Chief Deputy, responsible for the day-to-day running of one of the nation’s largest prosecutorial offices.

She served as the department’s second-in-command under Cooley and won his endorsement.

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