What will Mamdani do as NYC mayor? | LIVE UPDATES

NEW YORK - New York City’s newly-elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is preparing to roll out one of the most progressive agendas in the city’s modern history.

What they're saying:

The 34-year-old democratic socialist has vowed to make New York more affordable and equitable, with sweeping plans that include free child care, fare-free city buses and city-run grocery stores aimed at easing the cost of living for working families.

Live updates

12:40 p.m. | Adams comments on FDNY Commissioner's resignation

FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker announced his resignation earlier today – New York City Mayor Eric Adams provided a statement regarding Tucker's announcement:

"Commissioner Robert Tucker has led the Fire Department of the City of New York with courage, passion and a sincere dedication to public safety. When I appointed Commissioner Tucker to this critical role, I knew he’d have the experience, grit, and zeal to protect our city and support our fearless heroes – the firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics who put their lives on the line for New York every day. Under his leadership, we’ve decreased fire-related deaths in our city to the lowest in a decade, modernized the FDNY, and empowered the brave men and women who keep our city safe. We are incredibly grateful for Commissioner Tucker’s service and look forward to seeing what he’ll do next."

Tucker's resignation announcement comes the day after New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani declared victory.

11:45 a.m. | Transition 2025

Mamdani called attention to his new website, and announced his team is accepting donations once again.

"This transition requires staff, research and an infrastructure that can meet this moment," he mentioned in a video posted to social media. 

11:34 a.m. | White House has not reached out to Mamdani

The city's new mayor confirmed that the White House has not reached out to him since winning the mayoral race. Mamdani reiterated that he is interested in having a conversation with President Trump.

11:22 a.m. | NYPD Commissioner Tisch

Mamdani once again expressed his desire to retain NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, but did not specify whether she accepted the job.

"I look forward to having conversations with her on that very subject."

11:19 a.m. | Mamdani's message to ICE agents in NYC

When asked what his message is to the ICE agents in New York City, Mamdani replied: "My message to ICE agents, and to everyone across this city, is that everyone will be held to the same standard of the law – if you violate the law, you must be held accountable."

11:10 a.m. | Mamdani's all-female transition team

Former first deputy mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned under New York City Mayor Eric Adams, will now be a part of Mamdani's all-female transition team. Also included are Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, Grace Bonilla, Melanie Hartzog and Elana Leopold.

Housing access and affordability 

Local perspective:

Mamdani's housing plan has four pillars, according to his campaign website. 

He plans to freeze rent for all stabilized tenants as mayor, and "use every available resource" to build additional housing throughout the city. 

"The number one reason working families are leaving our city is the housing crisis," his platform states. "The Mayor has the power to change that." According to the New York City Charter Revision Commission, NYC faces "what is likely the worst housing affordability crisis in its history."

As mayor, Mamdani plans to triple New York's production of "permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes" in order to construct 200,000 units over the next decade. He also plans to "overhaul" the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and "coordinate code enforcement under one roof" in order to ensure agencies work together to hold landlords accountable for the conditions of the buildings they own. 

Mamdani also plans to create a new Office of Deed Theft Prevention to protect homeowners from a "system that favors wealthier homeowners in gentrifying neighborhoods." 

"Home ownership is out of reach for too many," Mamdani wrote on X in May. "And those who do own face rising costs and predatory scams. I saw these challenges up close as a foreclosure prevention counselor. As Mayor, I'll make city government work for you." 

Crime and public safety 

As mayor, Mamdani plans to create the Department of Community Safety to "prevent violence before it happens by prioritizing solutions which have consistently shown to improve safety," per his campaign website.

The department would be tasked with responding to mental health crises and combating homelessness. 

Mamdani acknowledges that the police have a "critical role to play" in managing public safety, but that "right now, we’re relying on them to deal with the failures of our social safety net—which prevents them from doing their actual jobs." 

He plans to keep the NYPD officer headcount the same, but cut the department's overtime spending.

During a press conference with Sen. Elizabeth Warren earlier this year, Mamdani reiterated his stance, saying that "forced overtime" is a main contributor to officers leaving the department, and that he wants "to empower police officers to respond to serious crime and hire mental health professionals to respond to mental health calls."

Mamdani has also pledged to disband the NYPD's Strategic Response Group (SRG), one of the force's special operations units. He claims the unit "has cost taxpayers millions in lawsuit settlements + brutalized countless New Yorkers exercising their first amendment rights."

Education 

As mayor, Mamdani has vowed to "ensure our public schools are fully funded with equally distributed resources, strong after-school programs, mental health counselors and nurses, compliant and effective class sizes and integrated student bodies." 

Mamdani is a proponent of the Open Streets for Schools program, which allows any New York City school to limit vehicle traffic on the street near or in front of the school building. Some schools just open the street during arrival and dismissal times, but others use the space to host recess or outdoor learning programs, according to OpenPlans. 

Mamdani also plans to address student homelessness by "expanding the successful Bronx pilot Every Child and Family Is Known," which aims to improve the well-being of NYC public school students living in shelters by establishing mentor relationships and inter-agency collaborations with city agencies for support. 

A Mamdani administration would also provide new parents and guardians with a collection of essential resources free of charge. These include diapers, nursing pads, baby wipes and more, his platform states. Each NYC Baby Basket will also include a resource guide on the city’s newborn home-visiting program, post-partum depression, breastfeeding and more. 

Mamdani also plans to "implement free child care for every New Yorker aged 6 weeks to 5 years" and bump up the pay for child care workers to that of the city's public school teachers. He also plans to work with the city and state to "massively" invest in CUNY, the public university system in New York City. 

Health care 

In order to expand access to health care for New York City residents, Mamdani's platform states that as mayor, he'll create a "new corps of outreach workers" within the sector. 

These workers, Mamdani states, will support patients by informing them of the resources available. They'll learn about how to find insurance, get financial assistance and claim health benefits. 

Mamdani also wants to increase funding for hospitals in the city, protect the city from future health emergencies similar to COVID-19 and work to end hospital closures. 

If elected, Mamdani claims he'll reject Medicare Advantage plans as well, which can lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for specific services.