In a historic move, New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed former US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairperson Lina Maliha Khan a celebrated Pakistani-American legal scholar as co-chair of his transition team. The announcement was made on Thursday, marking another milestone in the city’s political landscape.
Mamdani, 34, who is set to become the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City, will officially take office on January 1, 2026. He will lead the largest city in the United States one that operates with a staggering $116 billion budget and draws global attention.
Khan, 36, will share the responsibility of leading the transition alongside three seasoned veterans from New York City Hall. In her statement, she expressed enthusiasm for the new administration’s vision.
“New Yorkers have made it clear that it’s time to build a city where working people can actually afford to live,” Khan said. “I’m excited to help Zohran assemble a team that will usher in a new era for New York and set a model for Democratic governance.”
During her tenure as FTC chairperson under the Biden administration, Khan became one of the most influential figures in US economic policy. She took bold steps to intensify scrutiny of corporate mergers and to safeguard consumers from exploitative business practices such as “junk fees” and forced arbitration clauses.
Her leadership earned her both praise and criticism. Progressives lauded her for challenging corporate power, while her tough stance against major tech giants including Amazon and Microsoft unsettled many in Silicon Valley. Still, her determination to confront monopolies drew bipartisan respect, with figures ranging from Democrats to Republicans like J.D. Vance (now Vice President) and Steve Bannon recognizing her resolve.
Khan also led the charge against Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing platform, which resulted in a Justice Department lawsuit that received widespread bipartisan support in May last year.
Born in London to Pakistani parents, Khan moved to the United States with her family in 2000. Today, she continues to be a symbol of excellence and representation for South Asians and Muslims in American public life. She is married to Dr. Shah Rukh Ali, a cardiologist at Columbia University.
