SAN FRANCISCO—In a show of solidarity, two rival district attorney candidates joined forces on the steps of the Hall of Justice on Friday to call on Mayor London Breed to appoint the winner of next week's election immediately after certification, rather than wait until the start of the new year.

With the hotly contested district attorney race just days away, Leif Dautch and Chesa Boudin vocalized their frustration with the appointment of candidate Suzy Loftus as interim district attorney and formally requested that Breed install the election's winner after the results are tallied.

Dautch said for the first time in 110 years there was not going to be an incumbent name on the ballot for district attorney, until two weeks ago when the mayor decided to put her thumb on the scale and install her preferred candidate. Boudin added, "Since then, we have seen daily press conferences, using district attorney staff resources and making announcements to benefit Loftus' campaign, rather than purely serve the public good. It's a disgraceful abuse of power."

Two former judges were on hand lending their support for Boudin and Dautch's petition. Retired San Francisco Superior Court Judge Tomar Mason and retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Martha Goldin addressed the crowd of about two dozen of the candidates' supporters, calling for the naming of the winner after the election.

"Both the use of the District Attorney's Office for electioneering, and the influx of hundreds of thousands of dollars to oppose Chesa Boudin, constitute ethical and moral violations of voters' rights," Goldin said.