Mamdani taps 400 for mayoral transition team

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has tapped a cadre of veteran administrators and progressive advocates to guide his incoming administration as the democratic socialist prepares to take over the nation's largest city.

Mamdani, to be sworn into office on Jan. 1, has created 17 transition "advisory" committees with more than 400 people to advise him on policy and filling top positions while charting a new course for the city government.

"New Yorkers have placed a great deal of hope and expectation in this new course that they have elected us to chart," Mamdani said in remarks Monday. "It is a hope that City Hall can deliver results that make material, tangible changes in the lives of working people across these five boroughs."

Mamdani said more than 70,000 people have submitted resumes to join his incoming administration. He said there are 17,000 vacancies in city government that need to be filled.

"By helping us recruit top talent and develop smart policy, these committees will be instrumental to ensuring we hit the ground running on January 1st – and that our results align with the promises we've made," Mamdani said.

His transition team includes veteran government administrators and insiders like Kathy Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City; former New York City Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro; and Ruth Messinger, a former city councilor and 1997 Democratic mayoral nominee.

His team has also enlisted former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison to serve on a community safety committee.

He has also tapped Gustavo Gordillo and Grace Mausser, co-chairs of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialist of America to serve on the committees. Mandani is a member of the DSA, which helped his mayoral campaign and has bragged that his election victory is a "mandate" for the party's far-left platform.

And Mamdani's transition team will also have a pair of committees that will focus on worker justice and community organizing, in a nod to progressive groups and lefty activists who backed his mayoral campaign.

"Excellence is the guiding light driving this transition, and today's committee appointees are no exception," Elana Leopold, executive director of Mamdani's transition team, said in a statement. "Together, these leaders will help prepare Mayor-elect Mamdani's administration to take on the city's toughest challenges – from housing access to emergency preparedness to the day-to-day operations of city government that must be exceptional."

Mamdani won praise from across the political spectrum last week for his decision to keep New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch on as head of the city's police force.

Tisch was appointed by Mayor Eric Adams in November 2024 following scandals involving several police commissioners.