Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor shortly after midnight in a private ceremony at an abandoned Beaux Arts subway station — a prelude to daylong celebrations that will include a second public swearing-in and a block party in front of City Hall.
Mamdani, 34, was sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James, surrounded by his wife, Rama Duwaji, members of his immediate family, including Mira Nair, his mother and filmmaker, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University.
“It’s truly the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said.
“I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow as we begin our term.”
“Having taken the oath of office to become Mayor of New York City, I also do so here in the former City Hall subway station – a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, health and legacy of our city.
Mamdani then announced and welcomed a new transportation commissioner for the city, Mike Flynn, a veteran urban planner, with the mayor saying he wanted to make New York’s public transportation system “the envy of the world.” Flynn said he was accepting his “life’s work.”
“Thank you all very much… and see you later,” concluded Mamdani, to the laughter of the audience, before climbing the wide stairs of the metro where he took the oath, followed by the participants.
The ceremony was also attended by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who had backed out of his commitment to attend but later said he “would like to be there to show a smooth and peaceful transition of power.”
To honor his Muslim faith, Mamdani took an oath using the Quran, Islam’s most sacred book, becoming the first New York City mayor to do so. He took the oath at midnight with his hand on the Koran of his grandfather and that of Arturo Schomburg, a black writer and historian, loaned to the mayor by the New York Public Library, according to the New York Times.
Also present were a diverse group of Mamdani New Yorkers selected for an inaugural committee, including actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola and writer Colson Whitehead, as well as advocates, small business owners and campaign workers who, according to the new mayor’s office, “provided perspective, guidance and cultural sensitivity” for the ceremony.
The midnight ceremony will be followed by a public event at 1 p.m. during which the new mayor will be introduced by political ally and Bronx Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and sworn in by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Mamdani’s office said the choice to take the oath of office at the old City Hall subway station reflected his “commitment to the workers who keep our city running every day.”
“When the Old City Hall station opened in 1904 – one of New York’s original 28 subway stations – it was a physical monument to a city that dared to both be beautiful and build great things that would transform the lives of working people,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“This ambition does not have to be a memory confined only to our past. »
The day’s events are the culmination of a remarkable rise to power in America’s most populous city, both for a political unknown and for the democratic socialist party that Democratic-elect Mamdani represents.
The first signs of Mamdani’s electoral potential emerged earlier this year, ahead of a primary vote that saw him knock out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who later ran as an independent candidate. Adams, then under the scrutiny of federal prosecutors, chose not to seek the Democratic nomination.
In April, Mamdani trailed Cuomo 36% to 64%. Those numbers changed after Mamdani’s savvy political campaign on social media took off; his robust on-the-ground efforts appeared to energize new voters struggling with the high cost of living in the post-pandemic city.
A campaign spokesperson said Mamdani’s success was due to the fact that he “was everywhere all the time,” with more than 10,000 volunteers knocking on more than 100,000 doors, and pushing an agenda of affordability, rent freezes, free subway transportation and city-run grocery stores — as well as creating a community safety department to invest in citywide mental health programs.
Democratic campaign veteran Hank Sheinkopf said Mamdani “represents the city of the future — a more Asian city, a more Muslim city and what could be a more left-leaning city.”
In November, the then-state assemblyman won the election with 50.78 percent of the vote, defeating Republican activist Curtis Sliwa and Cuomo. In his victory speech, Mamdani spoke of his commitment to working New Yorkers who normally did not have access to the levers of power.
“May the words we spoke together, the dreams we dreamed together, become the agenda we achieve together,” he said. “New York, this power is yours. This city belongs to you.”
