Lina Khan — Pakistani-American co-chair of Mamdani’s transition team

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has appointed former US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Lina Maliha Khan, a renowned Pakistani-American legal scholar, as co-chair of his transition team, he announced Thursday.

Maamdani, 34, the first Muslim and South Asian, will be sworn in on January 1, 2026. He will lead the largest US city, a position that comes with a $116 billion budget and global scrutiny.

Khan, 36, who led the FTC during the Biden administration, will co-lead Mamdani’s transition team with three other veterans of New York City Hall, the seat of local government, the mayor-elect said in a statement.

“New Yorkers sent a clear message this week that it’s time to build a city that working people can truly afford. I’m excited to help Zohran build a team that will usher in a new era for New York and set a new model for democratic governance,” said Khan.

Hahn was instrumental in former President Joe Biden’s antitrust and consumer protection agenda.

As chairman of the FTC, he strengthened scrutiny of corporate mergers while leading the administration’s efforts to protect Americans from unfair business practices such as “junk fees” and mandatory arbitration clauses.

While progressives have applauded Khan’s efforts to crack down on corporate power, the Biden administration’s aggressive stance toward Big Tech companies has also played a role in the rivalry of several Silicon Valley figures.

As FTC chairman, Khan has been willing to take on big companies like Amazon and Microsoft to fight antitrust, winning praise from Democrats and Republicans alike, including conservative JD Vance, now vice chairman, and Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist.

Khan’s action against Ticketmaster, the world’s largest ticketing company, attracted bipartisan support for a Justice Department lawsuit against the company in May of last year.

Khan was born in London to Pakistani parents who immigrated to the United States in 2000. She is married to Dr. Shah Rukh Ali, a cardiologist at Columbia University.