Source: Crain’s New York Business, August 21, 2026
When the New York City mayor leaves town — as Zohran Mamdani did this week to vacation with his family in upstate New York — a somewhat archaic set of rules kicks in to determine who takes charge at City Hall.
The city charter states that whenever the mayor is absent from the city, the powers and duties of the office temporarily shift to the public advocate, currently Jumaane Williams. If the public advocate is unable to serve, the comptroller, currently Mark Levine, is next in line.
The mayor’s office, however, says First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan is leading day-to-day operations while Mamdani is away.
Both can be true and are consistent not only with the law but also standard procedure and modern day precedent.
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