50,000 New Yorkers want in on Mamdani’s magic

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's transition team said on Tuesday it has received more than 50,000 applications from prospective employees seeking positions in the incoming administration.

Mamdani, 34, a democratic socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, won the mayoral election on 4 Nov, promising an affordability agenda aimed at making the nation's largest city less expensive to live in, says USA Today.

The transition team is seeking applicants at all experience levels, ranging from seasoned policy professionals to entry-level workers, including community organizers, policy experts, government veterans, and other New Yorkers ready to "hit the ground running," according to the transition portal, transition2025.com.

"The sheer number of applicants speaks to the excitement at the heart of this movement — one that has inspired people to believe that government can put working people first," Mamdani said in a written statement. "This was a movement built by and for New Yorkers – and our administration will reflect that."

Elana Leopold, executive director of Mamdani's transition, said the volume of applications demonstrates readiness to support the administration. "50,000 applicants are proving that they're ready to help carry out this work across all levels of government," she said in a written statement. "And, these applicants make this movement, and this incoming administration, that much stronger."

In addition to strong interest from potential staff, Mamdani's transition committee reported raising $517,947.30 from more than 7,000 donors in under 30 hours, surpassing the combined first-term transition fundraising totals of the last two mayors, Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams.

It is not immediately clear when Mamdani's administration will begin filling the open positions.