New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is wasting no time setting the tone for his administration as the 34-year-old announced an all-women team to transition him into the new office, just a day after his election.
The move, he says, reflects his promise to build a City Hall that truly delivers for New Yorkers.
As per a report published in Times Magazine, the team brings together a diverse mix of women who have shaped city government over the past two decades, with experience in the administrations of Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio, and Michael Bloomberg. It includes former city and federal officials, non-profit leaders, and veterans of City Hall.
Speaking beneath the Unisphere in Queens, Mamdani told reporters, “I and my team will build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign,” pledging to “work every day to honour the trust that I now hold.”
Among those leading his transition is Elana Leopold, a progressive strategist and longtime de Blasio aide, who will serve as executive director. She’ll be joined by co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, Lina Khan, Grace Bonilla, and Melanie Hartzog — women known for their expertise in public policy, city budgeting, and social impact.
While Mamdani stopped short of naming new top appointments, he reaffirmed his plan to retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, originally appointed by Mayor Adams. Tisch has not yet confirmed whether she’ll continue in the role.
The transition team’s job is to ensure a smooth handover before Mamdani’s inauguration in January. Once in office, he’ll oversee nearly 300,000 city employees and a $100 billion budget — a huge task for a first-time mayor.
At his first post-election press conference, Mamdani said his transition marks the beginning of a "commitment to solving old problems with new solutions".
Quoting the late Governor Mario M Cuomo, father of his opponent Andrew Cuomo, he added: "The poetry of campaigning may have come to a close last night at nine, but the beautiful prose of governing has only just begun."
Mamdani’s win over former governor Andrew capped one of the city’s most closely watched elections in years. More than two million New Yorkers voted — the highest turnout in over half a century — giving Mamdani, a lead of around nine percentage points.