New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani wasted no time Wednesday announcing the four cochairs of his transition committee. Afterward, the 34-year-old spoke with Gothamist senior politics reporter Brigid Bergin about the upcoming “year of child care,” how he views regulations of small businesses and corporations in the city and more.
On Thursday, Mamdani will travel to Puerto Rico for the annual Somos gathering of New York political insiders.
The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Bergin: Hello, Mayor-elect. Your victory last night came the same night we saw two Democratic women elected governor in New Jersey, in Virginia. Do you see a common thread there?
Mamdani: I think it is exciting to be part of a big tent that is looking to not only take on an authoritarian administration, but also to deliver. And I have a chance to speak with soon-to-be-[New Jersey Gov.] Sherrill, and I'm looking forward to what it can look like to have partnership at, at the core of so much of our politics, which has sadly been missing for quite some time.
Bergin: We often hear about new administrations setting goals for that first 100 days. Can you say anything about what yours are?
Mamdani: My goal at this time is to spend the next 57 days of the transition, ensuring that my first day in office is not one of preparation, but rather one of execution. And I'm excited that we began today with the announcement of our four incredible cochairs of our transition: Grace Bonilla, Melanie Hartzog, Lina Khan and Maria Torres Springer.
That is the kind of team that will help us shape and fill out our City Hall such that those first 100 days are ones where we are taking concrete and substantive actions to deliver on the cost of living crisis that is pushing so many New Yorkers out of the city.
Bergin: Each of those women that you named are extraordinary in their own right. Certainly, Lina Khan is someone who's coming from a national position most recently. What role do you anticipate her playing in the transition, and are you considering her for a role in the administration?
Mamdani: Each of these cochairs will bring the wealth of their experience, whether it be in a specific subject matter or also in their experience of governing, to build a framework for what the delivery of this agenda will look like. I think especially with Lina, what she has shown is a track record of taking on corporate power across this country, the very kind of power that so many so-called leaders have told us our only choice is to appease. And what New Yorkers are looking for is a willingness to tackle these kinds of crises. And [she has] a track record of showing that not only can it be done, but that these are the fights that can be won.
Bergin: Do you think that there is a way for the city and through your office, the mayor's office, to do more to regulate corporations? And maybe even get into more regulation of the crypto industry?
Mamdani: I don't believe that the Adams administration has set the highest bar for what regulation can look like for taking on corporate greed. And I also have spoken to many-a-small business owner who are at a loss for what they seem to face more regulations than the most profitable companies in the city and in the world. And it is time to showcase our ability to take on that corporate greed while also streamlining the processes within City Hall so that businesses cannot just open, but stay open. And we will do that through the appointment of a mom-and-pop czar by cutting fines and fees by 50% across the board and by ensuring that we start to streamline some of the processes by which these businesses are receiving their permits and their licenses.
Bergin: What should New Yorkers expect when it comes to one of your key priorities, universal child care, next year?
Mamdani: The governor has said that 2026 is the year of child care, and I have appreciated her continued focus on universal child care, and it is one that I share. We will be building out a timeline to fulfill our commitment for universal child care and to do so by not only reckoning with the ways in which the Adams’ administration has made it harder to afford raising a child in the city, but also by going beyond that to the final point of having every child from six weeks to five years of age receiving that child care.
Bergin: When you started this campaign, you were out there in the streets listening to voters. You also are known for quoting Mayor Koch. One of his favorite expressions was, “How’m I doing?” So how are you going to continue to get that regular input from New Yorkers? And yes, this is a leading question for our weekly “Ask the Mayor” segment on WNYC's “The Brian Lehrer Show.” But are you also planning to do town halls? Can you talk about that kind of outreach?
Mamdani: The outreach that characterized our campaign, the transparency of it, that is one that will not only continue to animate my work in City Hall, but even in the transition on our way to City Hall. And it is our responsibility to bring politics to the people, as opposed to ask ourselves why the people are not coming to politics. And that will be through conversations I'll have directly with New Yorkers. It will be through meetings that we schedule. It'll be through all wide variety of outreach, all of it to ensure that we understand the strength of a democracy can be measured by just how many of its people are involved in it.
Bergin: And “Ask The Mayor?"
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani: "Ask the Mayor," yes.
Bergin: We love to hear that.
Mamdani: It'll be many-an-opportunity to ask the mayor.
