No matter which candidate wins the race for Santa Clara County district attorney, a woman will lead this often-overlooked but vital prosecuting office for the first time.

However, there are major differences between the candidates, former family court judge Dolores Carr and current chief assistant district attorney Karyn Sinunu.

Sinunu, 59, favors open grand-jury investigations in the event of an officer-related shooting. Carr, 53, does not unless there are special circumstances.

Carr, the wife of a police lieutenant, has the backing of virtually every law enforcement agency in the county. Voters in the June primary election favored her, too, as Carr picked up 42 percent of the vote compared to Sinunu’s 34 percent.

“They’re saying it’s time for a change,” Carr said of her supporters’ message. She pegged Sinunu as representative of the status quo.

Sinunu said she favors openness and wants to hold public forums to create a better understanding between the district attorney’s office and the community.

“I think we’re a little disconnected from the community,” Sinunu said.

Carr also listed soliciting feedback from the community as a priority.

Sinunu cooperated with the San Jose Mercury News in a critical, investigative piece about the department. The series pointed to several cases where district attorneys demonstrated a “win at all costs” mentality that resulted in several wrong convictions.

Carr acknowledged the office has problems, and said her opponent, as second in command in the district attorney’s office, is responsible in part for the office’s shortcomings.

“There’s been a culture developed the past few years that’s detrimental to victims’ rights,” she said. “Your job (as a district attorney) is not to win all cases - your job is to serve justice.”

Carr pledges to look at cases “consistently and fairly,” and will look at ways to make the office, with a $68 million annual budget and nearly 400 employees, more efficient. She noted, for instance, that attorneys engage in too much busywork that could be done by support staff.

Sinunu said she has more experience in trying a range of crimes, including murder. She said she’s done “a tremendous amount of work in domestic violence” and has written a book on hate crimes. She said there are currently two separate department units for gangs and drugs. They should be looked at together, not separately, she said.

Both acknowledged that identity theft and other white-collar crimes are of major concern to Los Altos residents, and that the district attorney’s office should make more of an impact. Sinunu added additional state legislation is needed to combat these crimes.

Among her endorsements, Carr lists Los Altos Councilwoman Val Carpenter. Los Altos Councilman David Casas and Mayor Ron Packard have endorsed Sinunu.

George Kennedy, outgoing district attorney, made an impact on the campaign when he pulled his endorsement of Sinunu, who said her cooperation with the Mercury News on its justice series might have prompted his decision.

“The public dispute with my boss has been very heartbreaking,” she said.

For more on the district attorney’s race, visit www.smartvoter.org.