Mamdani Appoints Veteran Socialist Organizer to Lead New Office of ‘Mass Engagement’

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved quickly to reshape City Hall, signing an executive order Friday establishing a new Office of Mass Engagement that will be headed by his campaign’s field director and longtime socialist organizer, Tascha Van Auken.

Mamdani announced the initiative during his first press conference at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, describing the office as a way to preserve and expand the civic energy generated during his successful mayoral run. He said the new entity will play a key role in rebuilding “our social infrastructure at scale” while keeping New Yorkers actively involved in city governance.

“For too long, city government has only listened to the wealthy and well-connected while working New Yorkers remain further and further disconnected from those elected to serve them,” Mamdani said in a statement. “The Office of Mass Engagement will fundamentally change this, creating a deeper connection between City Hall and community organizations, faith-based groups, and everyday New Yorkers looking to make their voices heard. Tascha Van Auken has been instrumental in creating the mass movement that delivered us to City Hall, and she will bring the same urgency, discipline, and principles to her work as Director of the Office of Mass Engagement.”

Van Auken rose to prominence during Mamdani’s campaign, overseeing a massive canvassing operation that helped mobilize more than 100,000 volunteers. In interviews following the election, she emphasized the need to keep that network active, highlighting the importance of “organizing after the campaign is over.”

Her background in political organizing spans more than a decade. Prior to her work with Mamdani, Van Auken served as a field lead on former President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. She has credited Obama field organizer Marshall Ganz with shaping her organizing philosophy, which centers on the belief that “anybody who wants to can learn leadership skills and step into roles of responsibility and learn how to build power with other people.”

According to National Review, Van Auken was inspired by Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign and joined the Democratic Socialists of America. She went on to manage several high-profile, DSA-aligned campaigns, including Julia Salazar’s successful 2018 state Senate race and Phara Souffrant Forrest’s victorious 2020 Assembly bid.

Additionally, she is widely regarded as a respected figure within New York’s DSA circles, Van Auken has worked on campaigns promoting progressive priorities such as the Green New Deal, universal rent control and healthcare, expanded abortion access, universal housing, and the decriminalization of prostitution.

Van Auken said her new role will focus on making city government more accessible to residents who often struggle to navigate public systems. “We are all too familiar with wanting to participate in City government and not knowing where to go,” Van Auken said of her appointment in a statement. “At worst, when New Yorkers need support — when they are facing eviction, when they are denied unemployment, when they need to find care for a loved one — they do not know where to go. We will demystify government so all New Yorkers can be active participants and have the resources they need to thrive.”