New York's New Mayor Wants to Keep the People's Voice Alive

New York City has a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who won his election thanks to a huge group of volunteers. Now, he doesn't want to forget about them. On Friday, he made a big change. He created a new Office of Mass Engagement. This office will be run by Tascha Van Auken. She was the brains behind Mamdani's campaign. The new office will take over some existing city units. These include the Public Engagement Unit and NYC Service. The goal is to make sure regular New Yorkers feel heard. Mamdani said that the city government has been listening to the wrong people. He wants to change that. Van Auken knows a lot about getting people involved. She helped Mamdani's campaign with over 90, 000 volunteers. Many of these volunteers were young and new to voting. They felt left out of regular politics.The new office wants to keep that energy going. Van Auken said that many New Yorkers don't know how to get involved. She wants to make it easier. The office will help people find the support they need. At a press conference, Mamdani and Van Auken didn't give many details. They didn't say how much money the office will have. They also didn't say exactly how it will work. Van Auken said the office will bring together different efforts. It will make sure that engaging with the city is meaningful. Mamdani said that the office will help achieve successes with the people. He wants New Yorkers to be part of advocating for their own agenda. Van Auken has worked with other campaigns before. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Mamdani also announced another appointment. He named his friend Ali Najmi to chair the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.