Sanchez’s lead has gradually widened as votes have been counted in the past week.Sanchez needs more than 50 percent to avoid a faceoff in November. By Wednesday night she reached nearly 53 percent in unofficial results from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.
Ahern trailed with about 31 percent and a third candidate, San Francisco police officer JoAnn Walker, tallied about half of that.
Ahern conceded, saying he would work to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming sheriff.
Sanchez became a deputy in 2001 and worked her way up the ranks to her current position as division commander overseeing the Santa Rita Jail Facility in Dublin.
