Mamdani names Dean Fuleihan first deputy mayor | JQJO

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani named 74-year-old budget veteran Dean Fuleihan his first deputy mayor, the incoming administration’s first major hire as it eyes more than $10 billion in socialist proposals amid a nearly $5 billion gap. Fuleihan, a former de Blasio first deputy and budget director who advised Mamdani, won praise from ex-adviser Emma Wolfe as a valuable public official. The pick comes as impending federal funding cuts threaten plans like free buses and universal child care; Gov. Kathy Hochul backs child care but funding remains unresolved. Mamdani also elevated campaign architect Elle Bisgaard-Church as top adviser.