Zohran Mamdani Appoints New Campaign Manager Ahead of NYC Mayoral Race

The socialist candidate for New York City mayor has announced the addition of Maya Handa as his campaign manager. Handa previously served as a senior advisor to Jamaal Bowman, a former Congressman known for his progressive views and controversial actions, including pulling a fire alarm in Congress to delay a vote.

Mamdani, who recently secured a surprising victory in the Democratic primary over former Governor Andrew Cuomo, will compete against Cuomo, incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, lawyer Jim Walden, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the November general election. Mamdani’s campaign emphasizes his bold stance and recent primary success.

Handa’s background includes managing the day-to-day operations of Sen. Zellnor Myrie’s primary bid, although Myrie struggled to stand out among numerous Democratic contenders. She has also worked with other progressive lawmakers, including Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign and Mondaire Jones’ 2020 congressional run. Her experience is rooted in left-leaning political circles, with ties to the Working Families Party.

Zohran Mamdani speaking at a podium — Mamdani has appointed Maya Handa, who previously advised Jamaal Bowman, to lead his mayoral campaign.

Aside from campaign management, Mamdani’s team announced the hiring of Afua Atta-Mensah as senior political director and Deandra Khan as director of labor and intergovernmental affairs. Khan previously served as a top advisor for the president of the Local 32BJ SEIU union, indicating a focus on community and labor issues.