New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has requested the resignations of 179 staff members from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, his office confirmed. The affected employees, many of whom hold political appointments across City Hall, are expected to step down by Mamdani’s inauguration on January 1st.
The transition move includes staff in offices overseen by the city’s deputy mayors, intergovernmental affairs, communications, and other key units. Mamdani’s team has emphasized that this action reflects standard practice during mayoral transitions. A spokesperson for the mayor-elect explained, “As is standard practice for a mayoral transition, the mayor-elect and his transition team are working to build their City Hall plan, which includes new staff in key roles to ensure they can deliver effectively on their agenda.”
Mamdani has already named Dean Fuleihan as his first deputy mayor and Elle Bisgaard-Church as his chief of staff. Fuleihan, a veteran government official, previously served as budget director and first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio, while Bisgaard-Church, Mamdani’s current chief of staff in the state Assembly, has played a central role in the Department of Community Safety and other initiatives. The transition effort also includes 17 advisory committees with more than 400 participants.
While Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch will remain in her position, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker announced his resignation, effective December 19th, citing ideological differences with the incoming administration.
The move has drawn criticism from Adams’ office. Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy characterized the decision as “the incoming Mamdani administration’s first governmental mistake,” emphasizing that many of the departing staffers are experienced, long-serving public employees. He noted, “These long-time civil servants should not be the victims of political gamesmanship.”
Political experts noted that new administrations often replace political appointees, sometimes including personnel who have served prior mayors. The Mamdani transition team has reportedly received roughly 70,000 resumes from individuals seeking positions in the incoming administration.
The mayor-elect’s team has also been actively fundraising for the transition, aiming to raise $4 million to cover staffing and operational costs. According to transition officials, over 25,000 individuals have contributed more than $2 million to date.
