Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced he’d hold over more department heads from the Eric Adams administration Monday as several major roles still need to be filled three days before he takes office.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist announced he would renominate Dr. Mitchell Katz to continue to lead NYC Health + Hospitals and keep Dr. Jason Graham in his role as chief medical examiner, arguing the picks “reflect my commitment to steady, experienced leadership.”
With the clock ticking until he takes office at midnight Thursday, Mamdani has leaned on a chunk of high-profile personnel working for outgoing Mayor Eric Adams. Meanwhile a number of notable appointments haven’t been announced including for school chancellor, transportation commissioner and deputy mayor of operations.
“Mamdani’s pool of appointees is shallow,” said political strategist Ken Frydman.
“His socialist friends-and-colleagues have even less political experience than he does, so he’s swimming in Adams’ pool.”
Former City Councilman Sal Albanese also disapproving railed on X, “Making a mistake, keeping too many holdovers.”
Candidates looking to serve in the Mamdani administration have described the interview process as brief with some prospective applicants not even sure what job they were interviewing for, according to New York magazine.
The Mamdani camp disputes people’s account of its hiring process.
The transition team has apparently been keen on preventing any leaks about who will get what job with each of the more than 400 transition members involved in the hiring process forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, The Post confirmed.
Katz, who will stay on as health and hospitals leader, has served under Adams during his full four years after he first took over in 2017 when Mayor Bill de Blasio was in office.
He was a main architect of the Big Apple’s COVID-19 response with the Mamdani camp also crediting him for expanding access to health care services.
Graham, who took over the medical examiner’s office in 2022, has honed in on probing overdose fatalities in a bid to battle the staggering opioid epidemic, according to the Mamdani transition team.
“These reappointments reflect my commitment to steady, experienced leadership that delivers real results for New Yorkers,” Mamdani said in a statement, calling them, “dedicated public servants that would continue to make “New York City safer and healthier.”
Two other Adams holdovers – Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael Garner and Chief Administrative Officer Mir Bashar – will also be employed to start 2026, Mamdani announced Monday.
Those four high-ranking officials and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch are five of the 14 permanent appointments Mamdani have made tied to Adams.
Mamdani also announced last week that Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan would stay in their positions, but on an interim basis for stability during the winter storm season.
Still, leaders for the Department of Correction, Department of Probation, Department of Homeless Services and Office of Immigrant Affairs all need to be appointed.
Also outstanding is the next corporation counsel who is expected to be integral in taking on the Trump administration in court with Mamdani’s vows to beef up the Law Department.
The head for Health and Mental Hygiene and a few deputy mayor slots are additionally still vacant.
Commissioner or agency heads not given the boot by the transition team will by default stay on until asked to leave, unless they decide to call it quits first.
A Democratic operative wasn’t shocked by the personnel moves and slow selection.
“If anyone thought that a 34-year-old that is surrounded by kids and incompetent de Blasio has-beens is able to actually attract talent, then I have the Brooklyn Bridge to sell,” the operative said.
One appointment that blew up in Mamdani’s face was Catherine Da Costa, who was supposed to be his director of appointments until old antisemitic social media posts resurfaced and she instead decided not to take the position.
Mamdani has also tapped longtime EMS leader Lillian Bonsignore to serve as FDNY commissioner and ex-de Blasio aide Dean Fuleihan to serve as first deputy mayor.
Other roles that have been filled include deputy mayor for economic justice, office of budget management and deputy mayor of housing and planning.
Still, the current Queens assemblyman’s hiring pace is about in line with what famously lackadaisical de Blasio mustered together when he first took office.
Adams also was on a similar pace, but most of his significant hires like school chancellor and his deputy mayors were locked down. He also was hiring during the throes of COVID.
Fuleihan, the future first deputy mayor, said earlier this month Mamdani was not behind in preparation for Jan. 1 as some political insiders said Monday they did not mind the socialist sticking with Adams appointees.
“Dr. Mitchell Katz and Michael Garner bring steady leadership New Yorkers can trust,” Queens Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers wrote on X.
“Glad to see them reappointed to keep moving our city forward—for patients and for small businesses.”
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