Overview
- Elana Leopold will serve as transition executive director, with co-chairs Lina Khan, Maria Torres-Springer, Grace Bonilla, and Melanie Hartzog leading the all-women team.
- The group will map policy and staffing ahead of a January 1 inauguration, with deputy mayors and agency commissioners set to be announced in the coming days.
- Mamdani reaffirmed goals including a rent freeze for stabilized units, free bus service, universal childcare, and city-run grocery stores, even as questions persist about paying for them.
- Coverage notes state resistance to new taxes and highlights federal exposure, with New York City’s FY2026 budget counting about $7.4 billion in federal funds.
- President Trump has threatened to limit federal funding to the city; Mamdani said he would not be intimidated and is open to speak with the White House as he begins fundraising to support transition operations.