The full roster of deputies, commissioners, and czars running New York City
Inside the Mamdani Administration: Who Is Running New York City?
When Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s 111th mayor on January 1, 2026, he arrived at City Hall as a 34-year-old democratic socialist with two and a half terms in the state Assembly and a campaign that mobilized an estimated three million door-knocks. The city’s political class had one immediate question: who will actually govern? That question has now been substantially answered. As of late February 2026, Mamdani has assembled a sprawling administration that blends veteran city hall operators with progressive movement figures, Obama-era policy alumni, and a handful of holdovers from the Adams years. The result is a team that reflects the tensions, and the ambitions, of the moment.
The Inner Circle: Fuleihan and Bisgaard-Church
The two most important appointments were announced together in November 2025, a deliberate signal about the kind of balance Mamdani intended to strike. Dean Fuleihan, 74, was named First Deputy Mayor. Fuleihan served in the same role under Bill de Blasio and before that as de Blasio’s budget director. He is a well-connected Albany operator with deep institutional knowledge, and his presence is widely understood as reassurance to those worried about Mamdani’s governing inexperience. Elle Bisgaard-Church, Mamdani’s chief of staff, represents the other half of that balance. She managed his Assembly office and his mayoral campaign. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, she is the person Mamdani trusts most. The two represent different New Yorks in terms of political generation and style, but they share an office.
Housing, Health, and Economic Justice
Leila Bozorg was named Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning in December 2025. She comes from the Eric Adams administration, where she was executive director of housing and a key architect of the City of Yes for Housing rezoning. Her familiarity with the bureaucratic and political machinery of city housing policy makes her well suited to a role that will be central to Mamdani’s agenda. Julie Su, the former acting U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Biden, was tapped as Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice, a new role covering worker protection, consumer affairs, the Taxi and Limousine Commission, and the Department of Small Business Services. Su was never confirmed by the Senate despite two attempts, but Bernie Sanders praised her work. She has relocated from California to Queens for the position. Helen Arteaga, a former hospital executive who ran NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst during the pandemic, oversees health and human services. She described the city’s safety net agencies as her life’s work.
Law Enforcement, Legal, and Operations
Perhaps no appointment generated more commentary than the decision to retain Jessica Tisch as NYPD Commissioner. Mamdani announced before the general election that he intended to keep her, and she accepted. The two disagree on policing priorities, but both have said publicly they are committed to working together. On the legal side, Mamdani named Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel. Kassem, a founding director of a CUNY civil rights law clinic and a former member of Mahmoud Khalil’s legal team, will advise the mayor on immigration and civil liberties issues. Steven Banks, the former Legal Aid Society attorney-in-chief and de Blasio era social services commissioner, was nominated as Corporation Counsel. He was confirmed by the City Council in February. Julia Kerson leads operations, overseeing Sanitation, Transportation, and Emergency Management.
Culture, Climate, and Community
Louise Yeung, who served as chief climate officer under City Comptroller Brad Lander, takes on the same role under Mamdani, leading the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Lisa Gelobter, a part-inventor of GIF technology and former Obama administration chief digital service officer, was named Chief Technology Officer. Mike Flynn, a transportation planner, heads the Department of Transportation, central to Mamdani’s promise to make city buses free. Maya Handa, who managed Mamdani’s general election campaign, became the World Cup Czar, tasked with ensuring the 2026 FIFA World Cup benefits all New Yorkers economically. The administration also created several new or revived offices, including the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, led by longtime housing advocate Cea Weaver, and the Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, led by campaign organizer Tascha Van Auken. City & State New York has published a comprehensive who’s who of the administration that is updated as new appointments are made. For historical context on mayoral transitions and cabinet-building in New York, the Gotham Gazette provides extensive archival and analytical coverage. The administration also drew criticism in its early weeks for a lack of Black and Latino representation in top roles. Mamdani responded by naming Afua Atta-Mensah, his campaign’s political director, as Chief Equity Officer, and later announced additional appointments including Faiza Ali as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Ana Maria Archila, the co-director of the New York Working Families Party, as International Affairs Commissioner. The roster continues to grow.
