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Fresh from his historic victory in the New York City mayoral election, Zohran Mamdani A slate of experienced officials was announced Wednesday to help lead his transition at City Hall, offering an early glimpse of how he wants to turn his ambitious campaign promises into reality.
“In the coming months, I and my team will build a city hall that will be able to deliver on the promises of this campaign,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in his first press conference as elected mayor. “We will build an administration that is equally capable and compassionate, inspired by integrity and willing to work as hard as the millions of New Yorkers who call this city home.”
That transition team will include two former deputy mayors, Maria Torres-Springer and Melanie Hartzog; East federal trade commission President Leena Khan; and Grace Bonilla, head of United Way of New York City, a nonprofit that focuses on low-income residents. Political strategist Elana Leopold will serve as the team’s executive director.
Mamdani said officials would help advance his transition as he moved from the “poetry of propaganda” to the “beautiful prose of governance”, an allusion to a phrase used by the former governor. mario cuomoThe late father of one of his opponents in the mayoral race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo,
The incoming mayor said he has yet to hear from him since defeating Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday night in a race that featured the highest turnout for a New York City mayoral election in more than five decades. He said he spoke by phone with his Republican opponent, Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani, who at 34 will be the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, now faces the challenge of implementing his sweeping empowerment agenda while taking charge of the country’s largest police department, sanitation department and school system.
His campaign promises include free child care, free city bus service, city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would expand on an existing city initiative that dispatches mental health care workers instead of police to handle some emergency calls.
Although he has considered his election a departure from the political structure, his transition team includes familiar faces from the two previous mayoral administrations.
Democratic political strategist and Columbia University professor Basil Smickle said that the broader knowledge base of Mamdani’s new staff gives the mayor-elect “an opportunity to address concerns about his governance.”
Mamdani — who came under fire during the race for his past comments criticizing the New York Police Department — also reiterated on Wednesday his intention to retain the city’s current police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. She has declined to say whether she would accept the role.
He has not yet said what other appointments he will make after taking over the government of more than 300,000 people, but said he is “willing to consider anyone” who shares his goal of making the city more affordable.
On Wednesday, city Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker announced his resignation, effective next month.
And in a sign of scrutiny of his appointments, the Anti-Defamation League on Wednesday announced a new tool to track and monitor policies and personnel appointed by Mamdani, a fierce critic of Israel whom the group has accused of ignoring Jewish security concerns.
Mamdani described the overnight vandalism at the Brooklyn Jewish School as “disgusting and heartbreaking,” saying, “I take the issue of anti-Semitism incredibly seriously.”
Mamdani has already faced scrutiny from national Republicans, including the president donald trumpWho have repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to the city if Mamdani wins.
As Mamdani described his goal of “Trump-proofing” the city on Wednesday, he also said he looks forward to having a conversation with Trump “about ways we can work together to serve New Yorkers.” Mamdani suggested that could mean discussing the cost of living amid the federal government shutdown or the impact of cuts to the SNAP food assistance program.
“New Yorkers are facing a dual crisis right now: an authoritarian administration and an affordability crisis,” Mamdani said.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Trump seemed somewhat open to the idea of working with the incoming mayor.
“We will help them,” the President said. “We want New York to succeed. A little bit, maybe.”
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Jennifer Peltz contributed to this report.