New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker will resign next month, becoming the first high-ranking official to resign following Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory, Bloomberg reported.
In a Nov. 5 letter to Mayor Eric Adams, Tucker called it the “honor of a lifetime” to serve as the city’s 35th fire commissioner and said he will step down effective Dec. 19. He added that he would continue to lead the department and ensure an “orderly transition” until then.
Resignation linked to Mamdani’s anti-Israel views
According to the news outlet, a person familiar with Tucker’s decision said it was influenced by his Zionist views and his belief that he could not continue to serve under Mamdani, whose criticism of Israel has drawn opposition from Jewish leaders in New York and nationally.
Appointed by Mayor Adams in 2023, Tucker oversees roughly 17,000 firefighters, EMTs and paramedics and manages the department’s $2.6 billion budget. Before joining city government, he founded and led T&M Protection Resources, a security and intelligence firm with operations in the US and Israel. He is expected to return to the role after leaving office, Bloomberg reported.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator from Queens and a self-described democratic socialist, will take office Jan. 1, becoming New York’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor.
We will have administration
The mayor-elect unveiled his transition team and appointed former FTC chairwoman Lina Khan to advise on economic policy and personnel. Khan’s antitrust work under President Joe Biden drew strong criticism from large corporations and wealthy investors. Mamdani also named Maria Torres-Springer, former first vice mayor under Adams, as interim co-chair.
