Updated below. Lacey wins, thanks Cooley. Jackson concedes, boasts about defeating Carmen Trutanich in June. 

Jackie Lacey leads Alan Jackson by double digits in early returns in the race for L.A. County District Attorney.

With vote-by-mail ballots counted, Lacey was up 56-44 percent. As precinct results started to trickle in, after 11 p.m., Lacey's lead narrowed to about 55-45.
On Twitter, Lacey told supporters “We did it!” But the Jackson folks are conceding nothing.
Lacey has been considered the favorite to succeed her boss, Steve Cooley, since her surprise first-place finish in the June primary.
Lacey would become both the first African-American and the first female D.A. in L.A. County history.
The Jackson campaign has said they expect to do better among precinct ballots, but he has a big deficit to overcome.
Lacey won the support both of law enforcement unions and the Democratic Party, giving her a broad base of support in the countywide vote. Jackson hoped to counter her advantages by appealing to Republican and independent voters.
Update, 12:42 a.m.: With 43% of the ballots in, Lacey's lead is holding at 9.5 percent (54.75-45.25). Jackson is not conceding, and the victory parties are over.
On NBC4, Steve Cooley predicted that Lacey would win with more than 60% of the vote. Cooley's track record in such matters is a little spotty. Two years ago, he declared victory on election night in the race for attorney general, only to concede the race a month later to Kamala Harris.
Update, Wed. morning; Jackson conceded at 3:35 a.m. He issued a statement congratulating Lacey and boasting about his campaign's signal achievement: knocking City Attorney Carmen Trutanich out in the primary.
This campaign has made a difference. We reminded Los Angeles that the job of District Attorney is not about politics; it's about keeping our families and our community safe. That sounds obvious now, but just a year ago, the experts said Carmen Trutanich couldn't be defeated. We came together and grew this campaign into a community with that simple idea that the next Los Angeles District Attorney should be a prosecutor, not a politician. And we did defeat him. 

Lacey also issued a victory statement, and will be giving a press conference later this morning. In her speech, she thanked her boss, Steve Cooley, whose support was the critical factor in carrying her to victory:

I thank Steve Cooley for being an extraordinary leader of the D.A.'s Office. I thank him for introducing me to his supporters, for advocating for me, for coaching me through this process, for the countless hours he spent campaigning for me, for allowing me the privilege of using his good name in the community as my chief endorser.

With 100% of the vote tallied, Lacey won, 55-45.

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