Former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan was named one of four co-chairs of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team on November 5, 2025. A spokesperson said Khan was focused on helping the transition with economic policy and personnel—not taking a city agency job or a permanent administration post.
What role did Lina Khan take?
Mamdani’s transition named Khan as a co-chair alongside Grace Bonilla, Maria Torres-Springer and Melanie Hartzog. Elana Leopold served as executive director. The transition’s team page described Khan as a former FTC chair and an associate professor at Columbia Law School. The Associated Press announcement coverage reported Mamdani’s statement that, “In the coming months, I and my team will build a City Hall capable of delivering on the promises of this campaign.”
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What was Khan expected to work on?
TechCrunch reported that Douglas Farrar, a spokesperson for Khan, said she was “focused on getting set up to assist the transition on economic policy and personnel.” That is the specific remit reported for Khan. It describes transition work, not a confirmed appointment to a city agency or a continuing role in Mamdani’s administration. TechCrunch’s November 5 report also interpreted Khan’s selection as a signal to Wall Street and the technology industry, given her profile and public criticism of large technology companies. That was the outlet’s analysis, not a stated explanation from Mamdani or Khan.
How did the wider transition work?
On November 24, the transition announced more than 400 appointments to 17 committees. The committees were intended to advise on personnel appointments and contribute policy development, implementation ideas and insight into agency practices. The four co-chairs oversaw the committees.
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| Transition detail | What was announced |
|---|---|
| Committee appointments | More than 400 people |
| Committees | 17 |
| Committee role | Advice on personnel, policy development and implementation, and agency practices |
| Oversight | Each committee was overseen by one of the four co-chairs |
Areas included housing, youth and education, transportation, climate and infrastructure, community safety, economic development, government operations, technology, worker justice and small business. In the transition’s November 24 committee announcement, Leopold called excellence “the guiding light driving this transition” and praised the committee appointees.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does—and does not—establish
The announcement establishes Khan’s leadership role in the transition and the reported focus of her work on economic policy and personnel. It does not specify particular policy proposals she developed, decisions she made, or duties she held after the transition concluded. The committee announcement gives the broader structure and scope of the transition’s advisory work, but does not rank the co-chairs or describe their individual decision-making authority beyond committee oversight.
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