NEW YORK: Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed an all-women transition team to guide his move into office, a day after securing victory in one of the city’s most closely watched mayoral races.
Mamdani, 34, said the decision reflects his commitment to building a City Hall “that truly delivers for New Yorkers” and honours the promises made during his campaign.
According to Times Magazine, the transition team comprises women who have held senior roles across multiple city administrations, including those of Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio, and Michael Bloomberg. The members include former public officials, non-profit executives, and policy strategists with extensive experience in urban governance.
At a press event beneath the Unisphere in Queens, Mamdani said his administration would “build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign,” vowing to work “every day to honour the trust that I now hold.”
Elana Leopold, a progressive strategist and longtime aide to former Mayor de Blasio, will serve as the transition’s executive director. She will work alongside co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, Lina Khan, Grace Bonilla, and Melanie Hartzog, all recognised figures in policy, budgeting, and social development.
While Mamdani has not yet announced senior appointments, he confirmed his intention to retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, originally appointed by Mayor Adams. Tisch has not commented on whether she will continue in the role.
The transition team will manage the handover process before Mamdani’s inauguration in January, after which he will lead a city workforce of nearly 300,000 employees and oversee a budget exceeding $100 billion.
Addressing his first post-election news conference, Mamdani described the transition as the start of a “commitment to solving old problems with new solutions.” Quoting the late Governor Mario M. Cuomo, he remarked, “The poetry of campaigning may have come to a close last night, but the prose of governing has only just begun.”
Mamdani’s victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo capped a high-turnout election that saw more than two million New Yorkers vote, the city’s highest participation in over five decades, giving him a nine-point lead in the final count.
