Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor in the first minutes of the new year Thursday at the historic City Hall subway station, with his wife, Rama Duwaji, by his side.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist elected last November, was a trailblazing candidate and many people in this city of 8 million expect — some with hope, others with apprehension — to be a disruptive mayor.
The oath, in which Mamdani pledged to support the U.S. Constitution and New York laws, was taken before New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“Happy New Year to New Yorkers, both inside and above this tunnel,” said Mamdani, 34 and the city’s first Muslim mayor. “It is truly an honor and privilege of a lifetime.”
New York law states that mayors’ four-year terms begin on January 1, after the election. To avoid any ambiguity about who is in charge of the most populous city in the United States, it has become tradition to hold a small inauguration ceremony just after midnight.
Mamdani chose the Ancien Hôtel de Ville metro station, disused for decades and accessible only a few times a year via guided tours, as the location for its inauguration. This location, according to Mamdani’s transition team, reflects his “commitment to the workers who keep the city running every day.”
Mamdani, a former state representative, has promised rent freezes, free buses and child care, building a campaign around affordability issues that some see as a path forward for the Democratic Party across the country ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Dean Fuleihan, the future vice mayor, told the Financial Times that Mamdani would continue his plan to raise taxes on millionaires to finance his campaign promises and balance New York’s budget. He added that he doesn’t expect the rich to leave the city because of possible tax increases.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has said she opposes an increase in the personal income tax, but is considering raising the corporate income tax to cover a possible budget shortfall amid federal budget cuts.
Return of the Attorney General
Mamdani drew a record turnout of more than 2 million voters and won 50 percent of the vote in November, nearly 10 percentage points ahead of independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Attorney General James was one of his earliest and most prominent supporters. During President Donald Trump’s first term, James launched an investigation into his business practices in New York, which resulted in a 2024 court ruling finding that Trump had fraudulently overstated his net worth to deceive his creditors.
During his second term, the Trump administration targeted James, accusing him of mortgage fraud. James has denied the allegations.
Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University, said James’ role in the inauguration would send a message to his core supporters that Mamdani “will be independent of the president.”
Mamdani, of Ugandan descent, has been an outspoken critic of Trump on issues including immigration and said his differences with the president were numerous after a cordial meeting at the White House.
Plans for Mamdani’s public inauguration later this Thursday include a ceremony on the steps of City Hall and a program with music and speeches for 4,000 guests gathered on City Hall Square. Additionally, audiences will be able to watch a live broadcast of what Mamdani’s team called “the inauguration of a new era” in free viewing areas set up along Broadway.
Bernie Sanders, a Brooklyn-born progressive and Vermont senator whom Mamdani considers his inspiration, will preside over the ceremony. Liberal Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is also on the agenda for the inauguration ceremony.
Mamdani raised $2.6 million for the transition and celebrations from nearly 30,000 contributors, more than any other mayor on record this century, both in total and in individual donations, according to official campaign data that shows inauguration spending from Michael Bloomberg’s first term in 2001.
As mayor, Mamdani will move from his one-bedroom apartment in Astoria, protected from sharp price increases thanks to the city’s rent stabilization program, to the Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City’s mayors, on Manhattan’s upscale Upper East Side.
Bankers and other high-ranking figures in New York, the country’s financial capital, have expressed concern about Mamdani, but since his election, many have explored ways to work with him.
The city has had another mayor associated with democratic socialism, David Dinkins. Dinkins has not said much about his ties to the Democratic Socialists of America. During his tenure from 1990 to 1993, he overcame budget deficits and convinced private businesses to stay in New York, according to city archivists.
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