Interim SF mayor selection process delayed

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco lawmakers have decided to wait yet another week to try to select an interim mayor to succeed Gavin Newsom.

Every San Francisco supervisor would agree that picking an interim mayor is serious business, but the process itself has been compared to a game show because supervisors will buzz in on the board's electronic system to be recognized and make nominations.

In round one, there will be one nomination from each of the 11 lawmakers and the nominations will be voted on in the order received. If the first nominee doesn't get six votes, supervisors move on to the next name. If that nominee doesn't get six votes, they move to the next. If they go through the entire list of all 11 nominees without any success, the process starts all over again.

A supervisor can nominate any registered San Francisco voter; they can't nominate themselves but can accept a nomination from another supervisor.

"A lot of names are coming out of the woodwork right now," Supervisor Eric Mar said.

Residents are talking about who and what they would like to see.

"I'm here to encourage you to please have an inclusive process in selecting the leadership for our city," said.

"Supervisor Campos, I hope you're on the short list and I hope you're chosen," another resident said.

It's the third time the interim mayor issue has come up, but many supervisors seem in no hurry to get going.

"There is a ton of names out there. I'm thinking them all through. Nobody is surfacing to the top position right now," Carmen Chu said.

There seems to be no one right now who can capture the necessary votes, but there are candidates out there, like Ed Harrington who was the city controller for 17 years.

"I'm just waiting to see what the board decides and if they ask me to do it, I'd love to do it," he said.

Whoever is eventually selected will have to be officially ratified when Newsom leaves office in January.

Get more San Francisco News »

san francisco board of supervisors, gavin newsom, san francisco news, carolyn tyler

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•