'Delivering on promises': Zohran Mamdani names all-women team to lead his New York City transition; meet the mayor-elect's team

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday named an all-women team to lead his transition effort.

Mamdani, 34, appointed a team of transition advisers with experience in the administrations of former mayors Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio, and Michael Bloomberg. The group includes former city and federal officials, nonprofit leaders, and City Hall veterans.

“We will cast a wide net. I and my team will build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign,” Mamdani said, addressing a conference in Queens, as cited by The Time. He vowed that his administration will “work every day to honor the trust that I now hold.”

As mayor, Mamdani will oversee roughly 300,000 city employees and manage a budget of more than $100 billion.

At his first news conference since winning, Mamdani said he wants the groundwork for the transition to reflect his administration’s “commitment to solving old problems with new solutions.”
Who are the women in Mamdani’s team?

Lina Khan , the former Federal Trade Commission chair and a close ally of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, has been appointed to Mamdani’s transition team . Known for her tough antitrust stance during former president Joe Biden’s administration, Khan’s inclusion signals that Mamdani, who has called for higher taxes on the wealthy to fund measures lowering the cost of living, plans to continue challenging what he calls the “oligarchy” when he takes office on January 1.

Elana Leopold, a political strategist and former de Blasio staffer, served as a senior adviser to Mamdani’s campaign and will now lead the transition team as its executive director.

Melanie Hartzog, who will serve as co-chair and director of the transition team, brings extensive experience in the city's governance. She previously served as deputy mayor for health and human services under former mayor Bill de Blasio and earlier led the mayor’s office of management and budget.

Maria Torres-Springer , appointed by Mamdani to his transition team, previously served as first deputy mayor under Eric Adams before resigning earlier this year following his federal indictment. She has held several key roles in city government as well, as cited by MSNBC.

Grace Bonilla, president and CEO of United Way of New York City, has been appointed to Mamdani’s transition team. She previously held several key positions in the administrations of former mayors Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg.

Mamdani’s proposals include free child care and bus service, city-run grocery stores, and the creation of a Department of Community Safety that would deploy mental health professionals instead of police to certain emergencies.

“On 1 January, when our city celebrates the inauguration of a new administration, let us also celebrate a new era for our city," Mamdani said.

With his victory, Mamdani is set to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor , its first of South Asian descent, the first to be born in Africa, and the youngest to hold the office in more than a century.