George Gascón, the former LAPD career cop-turned criminal justice reformer, will be the new district attorney in Los Angeles County.
Even with several hundred thousand votes left to be counted, two-term incumbent D.A. Jackie Lacey conceded to Gascón today. Gascón currently holds a 53.7% to 46.3% lead.
Gascón, 66, served as San Francisco's police chief and district attorney before leaving the latter job last year to run against Lacey.
The new D.A. ran as a strong reformer, arguing that the justice system is deeply flawed, and that there's a need to address the system's racial disparities.
At a news conference today, Gascon quoted the late Congressman John Lewis in saying, "let's get into good trouble." He vowed to immediately implement a host of actions, including: ending the use of the death penalty; locking up fewer people with mental health problems; ending the prosecution of juveniles as adults, and reopening some cases involving shootings by law enforcement officers.
In conceding to Gascon, an emotional Lacey spoke of how proud she was to have served in the DA's office. Referring to the national protests against police brutality in the wake of the George Floyd killing, Lacey said her loss may have been "a result of our season of discontent, and a demand to see a tsunami of change."
A spokesman said Gascon will be sworn in Dec. 7.
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