Zohran Mamdani formally assumed the office of mayor of New York City shortly after midnight Thursday, beginning his term with a private oath-taking ceremony held at a long-closed subway station beneath Manhattan.
Per AP News, the Democrat was sworn in at the historic City Hall station, one of the city’s original underground stops, marking the occasion by placing his hand on a Quran.
With that act, Mamdani became the first Muslim mayor in the city’s history.
“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in brief remarks following the ceremony.
Zohran Mamdani formally assumed the office of mayor of New York City shortly after midnight Thursday, beginning his term with a private oath-taking ceremony held at a long-closed subway station beneath Manhattan.
Per AP News, the Democrat was sworn in at the historic City Hall station, one of the city’s original underground stops, marking the occasion by placing his hand on a Quran.
With that act, Mamdani became the first Muslim mayor in the city’s history.
“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in brief remarks following the ceremony.
The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, an ally, during the closed event set against the station’s distinctive vaulted architecture.
In his initial comments as mayor, Mamdani pointed to the setting as symbolic, calling it a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city,” as he announced Mike Flynn as his choice to lead the Department of Transportation.
He concluded succinctly, smiling as he departed up a staircase: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later.”
A second, public inauguration is scheduled for later Thursday afternoon at City Hall, where U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders — a political inspiration for Mamdani — will administer the oath.
City officials say the ceremony will be followed by a public celebration along Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes,” a stretch traditionally associated with ticker-tape parades.
At 34, Mamdani enters office as one of the youngest mayors New York has had in generations and immediately takes on one of the most demanding roles in American politics. He is also the city’s first mayor of South Asian descent and the first born in Africa.
Mamdani rose to prominence on a campaign centered on affordability, a theme that resonated widely in a city struggling with high living costs.
A democratic socialist, he pledged policies aimed at easing financial pressure on residents, including free child care, fare-free buses, a rent freeze affecting roughly one million households, and a pilot program for city-operated grocery stores.
Beyond those ambitions, the new mayor will also confront the everyday burdens of municipal governance — from sanitation and infrastructure to public transit disruptions — that routinely define City Hall leadership.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani.
His family moved to New York City when he was 7, and he came of age in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks, a period when Muslim communities often faced heightened scrutiny. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
Before running for office, Mamdani worked on local Democratic campaigns. He won a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing part of Queens.
He and his wife, Rama Duwaji, are expected to move from their one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in an outer borough to the official mayoral residence in Manhattan.
Mamdani takes office as the city shows signs of recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Violent crime has fallen back to pre-pandemic levels, tourism has rebounded, and unemployment has returned to rates seen before the crisis. Even so, persistent concerns over housing costs and inflation continue to weigh on residents.
The new mayor will also navigate a complex relationship with Republican President Donald Trump. During the campaign,
Trump warned he could withhold federal funding from New York if Mamdani won and suggested deploying National Guard troops to the city.
However, after the election, Trump invited Mamdani to the White House for a meeting that both sides described as cordial.
“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.
Despite that tone, friction is widely expected given sharp differences on policy, particularly immigration. Mamdani has also faced criticism from segments of the city’s Jewish community over his past statements about the Israeli government.
In the weeks since his election, Mamdani has focused on assembling an experienced transition team, drawing on officials with deep familiarity with city government.
One early decision — persuading Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to remain in her role — was seen as a signal of continuity and helped ease concerns among business leaders about abrupt changes to policing policy.
THE THIRD FORCE
