Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City shortly after midnight on Tuesday in a private ceremony held in the abandoned Beaux-Arts Old City Hall subway station. The 34-year-old Democratic Socialist took the oath of office administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, using a Qur'an belonging to his grandfather and another lent by the New York Public Library, becoming the first mayor to do so.
Mamdani was joined by his wife, Rama Duwaji, his mother, film-maker Mira Nair, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor. Outgoing mayor Eric Adams also attended, stating he wanted to show a smooth transition of power. The ceremony included the announcement of Mike Flynn as the new transportation commissioner, tasked with making the city's public transit network 'the envy of the world'.
Speaking after the oath, Mamdani described the honour as 'the privilege of a lifetime' and noted the location's symbolism for public transit's role in the city's vitality. A public swearing-in is scheduled for 1pm, where Mamdani will be introduced by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and sworn in by Senator Bernie Sanders, followed by a block party outside City Hall.
Mamdani's rise to power marks a milestone for the Democratic Socialist movement in the US's most populous city. He defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary after trailing significantly in April, leveraging a grassroots campaign focused on affordability, rent freezes, free metro transport, and city-run grocery stores. Over 100,000 volunteers knocked on doors to support his platform, which also includes a new department of community safety.
