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NY’s Mamdani Names Former FTC Chair Lina Khan to Transition Team

By  |  November 5, 2025

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has selected former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to join his transition team as one of four co-chairs, according to Bloomberg. Khan, known for her aggressive stance on antitrust enforcement, will play a key role advising Mamdani on economic policy and personnel decisions, her spokesperson Douglas Farrar confirmed.

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    Per Bloomberg, Khan’s tenure at the FTC under former President Joe Biden was marked by a sweeping effort to rein in corporate concentration and challenge the dominance of tech giants such as Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. Her agency’s actions included blocking a proposed merger between grocery chains Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. and pushing a nationwide ban on non-compete agreements that restrict workers from changing jobs. While the non-compete rule was later struck down by federal courts, the initiative drew broad support from labor advocates and employees seeking greater mobility.

    Khan’s assertive regulatory approach, however, provoked strong criticism from Wall Street and high-profile investors. According to Bloomberg, figures including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, IAC Chairman Barry Diller, and venture capitalists Vinod Khosla and Peter Thiel accused her of being hostile to business interests and “not helping America.” Despite these tensions, Khan has continued to defend her stance as one rooted in protecting competition and curbing corporate overreach.

    At a Wednesday press conference, Khan said, “I think what we saw last night was New Yorkers not just electing a new mayor, but clearly rejecting a politics where outsize corporate power and money too often end up dictating our politics, and a clear mandate for change.”

    Related: FTC Warns Healthcare Employers as Noncompete Crackdown Widens

    Mamdani, who pledged to form a team “defined by excellence,” has also appointed Maria Torres-Springer, a former deputy mayor who left Mayor Eric Adams’ administration earlier this year, as a co-chair of his transition effort.

    According to Bloomberg, Mamdani emphasized his intention to work collaboratively with the business community, despite policy disagreements. He said he plans to meet with J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and other corporate leaders to discuss the city’s economic future, underscoring the importance of dialogue. “We can’t demand agreement on every issue just to have a conversation,” Mamdani said.

    The mayor-elect also highlighted his affordability agenda, including a proposal for universal child care. Mamdani argued that such policies would benefit not only families but also employers, noting that companies currently spend more than $22,000 per year on average to help cover child-care costs in New York City.

    Source: Bloomberg