He\u2019s governing by committee.<\/p>\n
Two New York City Democratic Socialists of America leaders scored plum roles on Zohran Mamdani\u2019s transition team<\/a> \u2014 as the mayor-elect Monday named a who\u2019s who of progressive advocates and veterans of Bill de Blasio\u2019s administration to staff its committees.<\/p>\n The 400 comrades tapped by Mamdani to help his transition into City Hall include the local DSA\u2019s co-chairs Gustavo Gordillo and Grace Mausser, who recently bragged that the mayoral election\u2019s outcome <\/a>counted as a \u201cmandate\u201d for their shared socialist agenda.<\/p>\n Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced his 17 transition team committees at a press conference in Central Park on Nov. 24, 2025. James Keivom<\/p>\n Mamdani transition committee members Bhairavi Desai, Mike Flynn, Darrick Hamilton, Tara Gardner, Atiba Edwards, and Annemarie Gray (left to right) at his announcement. James Keivom<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking to actually build a very different City Hall,\u201d Mamdani, a DSA member, said during a press conference in East Harlem announcing his 17 transition team committees.<\/p>\n Gordillo will serve on the economic development and workforce development committee, while Mausser was named to the committee on small businesses and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise.<\/p>\n The committees largely follow the template of past mayoral turnovers, covering traditional issues such as health and economic development \u2014 with the exception of two new ones focused on the lefty causes of \u201ccommunity organizing\u201d and \u201cworker justice.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 70,000 New Yorkers applied from every single ZIP code in the city to work in Mamdani\u2019s administration when he takes office Jan. 1, Mamdani said.<\/p>\n Progressive activist Bhairavi Desai speaking at the announcement on the mayor-elect\u2019s transition team. James Keivom<\/p>\n Whether Mamdani will lean on his largely untested lefty allies \u2014 especially from the DSA \u2014 or tap veteran public servants for his City Hall staff has been an open question, but the makeup of his transition brain trust skews toward experience.<\/p>\n Several notable high-profile names on the committees include:<\/p>\n Mamdani was flanked by several lower-profile, but still influential advocates and experts who\u2019ll be part of his transition committees \u2014 including Annemarie Gray, executive director of the vocal YIMBY group Open New York, on one focused on housing.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Gray, who\u2019s also a veteran of the de Blasio administration, and Open New York helped push voters to pass ballot measures giving the mayor new powers<\/a> over building new housing.<\/p>\n \u201cI joined this committee because Zohran is committed to an all-of-the-above approach to the housing crisis that we know New York City needs, one that protects current tenants, while also building the homes of future families,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The 400 committee members include veterans of De Blasio\u2019s administration and other progressive activists. James Keivom<\/p>\n\n