NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, who will become New York City’s first Muslim mayor on January 1, 2026, has appointed Pakistani-American legal expert Lena M. Khan as co-head of his interim team.
The 34-year-old Mamdani will also be the first South Asian to hold the mayoral office in the city, which manages an annual budget of approximately $116 billion and whose administrative decisions carry global significance.
Khan, 36, formerly chaired the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and will lead the interim team alongside three experienced City Hall officials. In a statement, Khan emphasized the need to create a city where working-class residents can thrive and expressed honor at helping build a team capable of turning Mamdani’s vision into reality.
During her tenure at the FTC under President Joe Biden, Khan played a prominent role in antitrust enforcement and consumer protection, closely scrutinizing major corporate mergers and taking strong actions against business practices harmful to consumers.
Her progressive policies were widely praised, though her tough stance against tech giants such as Amazon and Google drew criticism in Silicon Valley.
