New York Note: Mamdani Executive Order, Mamdani Appointments, Special Elections, and Senator Weik

January 5, 2026

Mamdani Cancels Executive Orders

In one of his first acts as Mayor following his inauguration on Thursday, Mamdani issued an executive order that revoked all executive orders issued by his predecessor on or after September 24th, 2024, the day of Mayor Adams’ indictment. This action cancelled nine executive orders, which included multiple actions related to antisemitism and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, permission of immigration officers on Rikers Island, and a ban on horse-drawn carriages.

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Mamdani Announces Key Appointments

Mayor Mamdani has announced numerous appointments to his administration, including key appointments such as Dina Levy, Senior Vice President of Single Family and Community Development at New York’s Division of Homes and Community Renewal, as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development, Leila Bozorg, Adams’ Executive Director of Housing, as the Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning, and Julie Su, a former federal Acting Labor Secretary, as the City’s first ever Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice. Other significant appointments include Helen Arteaga, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, as Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, and Julia Kerson, an infrastructure adviser to Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Deputy of Operations under Mayor DeBlasio, as Deputy Mayor for Operations. He has also tapped New York City Comptroller Brad Lander’s Climate Chief, Louise Yeung, as Chief Climate Officer, former head of the Legal Aid Society, Steven Banks, as Corporation Counsel, and Ramzi Kassem, a former senior adviser in the Biden White House on immigration, as Chief Counsel. In his first act as Mayor, Mamdani named Mike Flynn as Commissioner of the Department of Transportation. See complete list of appointments here.

Governor Hochul Announces Special Elections

As former Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani recently took office as Mayor of New York City, former State Senator Brad Hoylman-Seigal took office as Manhattan Borough President, and former State Senator Sean Ryan took office as Mayor of Buffalo, special elections to fill their respective seats in the Assembly and Senate will be held on February 3rd, 2026.

Senator Weik Will Not Seek Reelection

Senator Weik announced in a statement last Tuesday that she will not run for re-election when her term concludes at the end of 2026. Weik represents District 8, which covers part of the south shore of Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island. She serves as a ranking member on the Civil Services and Pensions, Women’s Issues, and Local Government committees, and is a member of the Education, Social Services, and Veterans committees. Weik has served in the Senate since 2022.

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