New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced two deputy mayors Friday morning on Staten Island.
Mamdani announced his Leila Bozorg as deputy mayor for housing, as well as a new role. Julie Su will be the first ever deputy mayor for economic justice.
Mamdani made the announcement at a Department of Sanitation garage that’s being converted to more than 200 units affordable housing.

“The ground we stand on is a physical testament to government’s power to transform the lives of those it serves when it dares to tackle challenges with ambition, imagination and competence,” Mamdani said. “Our administration will remember New Yorkers that have otherwise been forgotten. It will solve issues that have otherwise been forgotten.”
“There are clear changes that need to be made”
All week, Mamdani has been announcing key leaders of his incoming administration.
On Wednesday, Mamdani announced Catherine Almonte Da Costa as Director of Appointments, the person who would be in charge of recruiting talent into his administration. She resigned a day later over past statements she’d made. The ADL of New York and New Jersey posted screengrabs, it said, of her social media posts from more than a decade ago. The group alleged the posts “echo classic antisemitic tropes and otherwise demean Jewish people.”

Da Costa offered an apology with her resignation.
“I spoke with the mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am. As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation,” Da Costa said.
“Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and I accepted,” Mamdani said.
Asked about the matter Friday, Mamdani said his team is making changes to its vetting process.
“There are clear changes that need to be made and that’s exactly what we’re doing right now,” he said.
Mamdani said he wasn’t aware of Da Costa’s past social media posts and he wouldn’t have hired her if he had been aware of them.
Will Mamdani’s rent freeze plan go forward?
Mamdani was also asked about Mayor Eric Adams’ last-minute appointments to the rent guidelines board, and whether that will stimy his efforts to freeze the rent.
“I remain just as committed to delivering a four year rent freeze to more than two million rent stabilized tenants across this city, and there’s no number of late appointments that will change that,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani also announced Thursday Sharif Suleiman will serve as the next director of the Office of Management and Budget, in charge of balancing the books for Mamdani’s agenda.

Suleiman has served in City Hall over the past three administrations in senior roles.
Mamdani’s term as New York City’s next mayor begins on New Year’s Day.