Mamdani Taps Union Leader As Liaison To State And Federal Governments

By Katie Honan, The City

Dec. 17, 2025, 10:15 a.m.

Jahmila Edwards will oversee a staff working with city, state and federal officials. She has spent the last decade as the associate director for District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union, which endorsed Mamdani in the primary as part of their slate in the ranked-choice contest. The union also supported him during the general election.

Edwards previously worked at the city’s Department of Education, including as executive director for the agency’s intergovernmental affairs office.

Mamdani is also expected to announce Cat Da Costa as head of the Mayor’s Office of Appointments, where she worked years ago under former Mayor Bill de Blasio. She’ll be tasked with building out the next administration, which is already fielding more than 70,000 applications from people eager to work in Mamdani’s government.

“We know our efforts are ambitious — and we know they are necessary,” Mamdani said in a statement praising both hires.

“With Jahmila as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, we are building a government that fights for working people first and refuses to settle for less.”

Of Da Costa, Mamdani said City Hall will have “a true expert in talent acquisition, making sure excellence is at the core of city government operations.”

Both roles are crucial for the incoming mayor, whose goals of fast and free buses and universal child care will require state funding, likely through raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers. Eliminating the bus fare will also require buy-in from the state-run MTA, which operates the buses.

Mamdani and his staff will additionally face pressure to settle union contracts and rescue a health benefits fund that has reportedly run out of money.

Mayor Eric Adams scrapped a move to Medicare Advantage, which was vehemently opposed by retirees of unions like DC 37. That leaves the next mayor with the job of replacing the estimated $600 million in health care savings expected from the switch.

Edwards and Da Costa are the latest administration announcements for Mamdani, who is set to roll out other staff this week. Some of the still-unnamed, high-profile positions include more deputy mayors, the budget director and the schools chancellor.

Mamdani will be sworn in just after midnight on Jan. 1 and is expected to hold a larger inauguration event at City Hall later that day.

This press release was produced by The City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.