NEW YORK CITY, NY — Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani has selected longtime labor leader Jahmila Edwards to lead his Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, placing a veteran union official at the center of efforts to secure political and financial backing for some of his most ambitious policy goals.
Edwards, who most recently served as associate director at District Council 37, New York City’s largest municipal union, will oversee relations with city, state, and federal officials. DC 37 endorsed Mamdani during both the Democratic primary and the general election, backing his candidacy as part of its ranked-choice slate. Before her union work, Edwards held senior roles at the city’s Department of Education, including executive director of intergovernmental affairs.
The appointment underscores Mamdani’s close alignment with organized labor as he prepares to push proposals such as free bus service and universal child care. Both initiatives would require substantial state funding and, in the case of buses, cooperation from the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Mamdani has argued that raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers is necessary to finance these priorities.
Mamdani is also expected to name Cat Da Costa to head the Mayor’s Office of Appointments. Da Costa previously worked in City Hall under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and would be responsible for staffing an administration that has already received more than 70,000 job applications.
The incoming mayor faces immediate fiscal pressures, including unresolved union contracts and a health benefits fund reportedly short hundreds of millions of dollars following the collapse of a proposed Medicare Advantage switch under Mayor Eric Adams. Mamdani praised both hires as essential to building a government focused on working people. He will be sworn in shortly after midnight on Jan. 1.
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