Suzy Loftus appointed interim San Francisco District Attorney

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- One day after San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon resigned , the mayor has appointed someone in his place. The decision is controversial because Suzy Loftus has been running for that office for more than a year.

With only a month before the elections, some say this gives Loftus an unfair advantage over other candidates.

"I know Suzy Loftus is the right person to do this job," that was San Francisco Mayor London Breed after presenting her new appointee.

Making that announcement became a challenge today for the Mayor and Loftus herself.

First protesters gathered at the location in Chinatown where London Breed was supposed to deliver her message. The event was then postponed for several minutes.

Then once protesters spotted Loftus, they chased her around Chinatown.

Loftus is a controversial figure because she once led the police commission during tumultuous times for the city. But despite the multiple interruptions, she was finally appointed surrounded by her daughters.

"I gotta tell you-- on my way here I got to have a beautiful walk through Chinatown," said Loftus as she laughed.

On a more serious note, she had made this promise.

"For anyone whose trust I have yet to earn, I will work every day to earn your trust. I will work every day to build safety that is not predicated on zip codes," she added.

While many agree she's qualified for the job, some supervisors are critical of the appointment. The election is on November 5, a month away.

"If I were the mayor I think I would have said hey we want to hear what the voters want and we are not going to try to influence the election," said Supervisor Aaron Peskin.

Ironically, Mayor Breed herself encountered a similar situation following the death of Ed Lee. As then Board President, Breed stepped into the position of acting mayor, while at the same time running for office. But a month later, in January 2018 she was removed from her job by her colleagues on the board because they saw that as a political advantage. Supervisor Mark Farrell was then voted in as acting mayor.

Today Breed had no apologies.

"We need to start doing more sooner than later and I don't want to leave the D.A.'s office unattended and that's why we need to make sure we have someone who understands the office who know what to do from day one and that's Suzy," said Mayor Breed.

The other candidates are Leif Dautch, Nancy Tung, and Chesa Boudin.