County Undersheriff Kelly Martinez and former city prosecutor John Hemmerling are headed for a November runoff after emerging as the top two vote-getters in the race for sheriff.
Martinez topped the seven-candidate field in Tuesday's election to secure a spot on the runoff in the race to succeed longtime sheriff's department head Bill Gore, who retired earlier this year.Martinez told ABC 10News that Tuesday's results"really felt good honestly, because it's been a long year." Martinez added that it was encouraging to place so far ahead in the race.
A state Auditor's Office report indicated the death rate at San Diego County jails was far higher than other large California counties and that the situation"raises concerns about underlying systemic issues with the Sheriff's Department's policies and practices." Martinez, who has served within the sheriff's department since 1985, has Gore's endorsement, as well as the backing of County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, among others.