Zohran Mamdani has named an all-woman team to transition him into the New York mayor’s office – Culture

Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City who made history with his election, has named an all-woman team to lead his transition into the mayor’s office, Time Magazine has reported.

“The poetry of campaigning may have come to a close last night at 9, but the beautiful prose of governing has just begun,” he said at a press conference in Queens, vowing to build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of his campaign. The publication noted that he was quoting former governor Mario M Cuomo, the father of his defeated opponent Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani’s team of transition advisers include former city and federal officials, nonprofit executives, and veterans of City Hall, many of whom who have worked in the administrations of former New York mayors Eric Adams, Bill de Blasio, and Michael Bloomberg.

Time reported that political strategist Elana Leopold, a longtime de Blasio aide and senior adviser to the Mamdani campaign, will serve as the transition team’s executive director. Former first deputy mayor Maria Torres-Springer, former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, United Way of New York City President Grace Bonilla and city budget expert Melanie Hartzog will serve as Mamdani’s transition co-chairs.

The transition team’s role is to ensure Mamdani has a smooth path till his inauguration in January. Once officially in office, he will have approximately 300,000 city employees below him, as well as a budget of over $100 billion.

Mamdani made history with his election as the first Muslim and first person of South Asian heritage to be elected mayor of New York City. His campaign resonated largely with young voters who saw him as a ray of hope amid dusty political campaigns that were far from the experience of the common people.