NYC mayor taps Shorris and Khan to steer growth-focused economic development

Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York City, filled two key posts at the city’s Economic Development Corporation by appointing veteran administrator Anthony Shorris as president and former FTC chair Lina Khan as board chair. The moves underscore Mamdani’s attempt to deliver the redistribution promises that defined his campaign—rent freezes, free public transit, municipal grocery stores and universal childcare—while also generating scalable employment.

Structural hurdles such as state-level tax limits and a wary bond market complicate the effort, a dilemma echoed by progressive parties across Europe that struggle to pair equity with dynamism. Harvard economist Dani Rodrik’s “productivism” framework, which favors service-sector production over manufacturing, informs the EDC’s plan to use city-owned land and financing to create good jobs and aid small firms. Supporting officials include deputy mayor for economic justice Julie Su, who will champion worker rights and training.

Observers note that Mamdani must also cooperate with large finance, health, logistics and tech firms that fund the city’s budget, lest critics use any shortfall against progressives in the upcoming midterms. The situation mirrors British Labour leader Andy Burnham’s challenge of balancing ambitious public-investment pledges with bond-market concerns.