Organizer takes Office of Mass Engagement to drive participatory governance
Tascha Van Auken, who mobilized tens of thousands of volunteers to knock 3 million doors during the Mamdani campaign, now directs the newly created Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement. The appointment, announced January 2, 2026, signals the mayor’s commitment to sustaining the grassroots infrastructure that elected him and institutionalizing community participation in city governance.
Campaign Mobilization Background
Van Auken is an experienced community organizer who has worked on democratic socialist campaigns and with the Working Families Party. During the Mamdani campaign, she managed the volunteer operation that built unprecedented grassroots mobilization in a NYC mayoral race. The door-knocking operation, digital coordination, and volunteer culture represented a model for political organizing.
Office of Mass Engagement Mandate
The new office coordinates community participation across city agencies and initiatives. Rather than top-down government, the office facilitates bottom-up input and community involvement in city decision-making. This could include neighborhood assemblies, participatory budgeting expansion, community board strengthening, and direct input from residents on policy.
Participatory Governance Models
Van Auken will likely look to models from other cities: participatory budgeting that lets residents vote on how to spend city funds, citizen assemblies that discuss policy priorities, community benefit agreements that give residents voice in development projects. These models aim to deepen democracy and reduce alienation from government.
Sustaining Campaign Infrastructure
The office also serves to sustain the campaign volunteer network and grassroots energy that got Mamdani elected. This prevents the typical post-election deflation where volunteers are abandoned and organized energy dissipates. Channeling this energy into governance legitimizes both the administration and community organizing itself.
Risks and Opportunities
Genuine participatory governance requires sharing power with communities, which may lead to decisions at odds with administration preferences. The office’s actual power and resources will determine whether it facilitates meaningful participation or represents performative inclusion. Early actions and resource allocation will signal Mamdani’s commitment. For participatory democracy information, see Participatory Budgeting Project. Learn about community engagement at Center for the Advancement of Public Engagement. Read about civil society at Institute for Civic Engagement. Understand democracy from Participatory Action Institute.
