Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as New York mayor, promising an audacious democratic socialist agenda focused on affordability, public services, and confronting corporate power.
Zohran Mamdani assumes office as New York mayor. (Photo: X/@ZohranKMamdani)
Zohran Kwame Mamdani has formally taken over as mayor of New York City, promising to govern “expansively and audaciously” and stay true to his identity as a “democratic socialist”.
The 34-year-old was sworn in on New Year’s Day, becoming the first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born mayor of the United States’ largest city and financial capital.
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At the public inauguration on the steps of City Hall, the oath of office was administered by Senator Bernie Sanders, a long-time political inspiration for Mamdani. Sanders said the victory represented a rejection of political establishments and powerful economic interests.
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“I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical,” Mamdani said after taking office. He pledged to revive what he called “the era of big government” to improve daily life in the city.
Also Read: Zohran Mamdani takes mayoral oath on Quran, becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor
In his address, Mamdani said his administration would confront corporate power and push collective solutions over individualism.
“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism,” he said, outlining a governing approach that “never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges”.
He repeated key campaign promises, including free bus travel, free childcare from six months of age, city-run retail outlets and a freeze on rent hikes in regulated housing.
Sanders, speaking earlier, framed Mamdani’s rise as a message to the wealthy elite. “The billionaire class in this city and country have to understand that they cannot have it all,” he said, adding that the country must belong to everyone, not just a few.
The ceremony opened with a prayer to Allah by Imam Khalid Latif, who said that it would be a “different” New York where “a young immigrant democratic socialist can be bold enough to run and brave enough to win not by abandoning conviction but by standing firmly with it”.
In a nod to his socialist image, Mamdani arrived at City Hall in a regular taxi, even as he remained under police protection. He has previously criticised the police force, calling it racist and a threat to public safety.
He took the oath holding two Korans , one belonging to his grandfather and another linked to an African American writer, held by his wife, Rama Duwaji.
A celebratory block party followed on Broadway, with music and dancing despite freezing temperatures of around minus 2 degrees Celsius. City officials estimated nearly 40,000 people attended.
Hours earlier, just after midnight, Mamdani had already been sworn in privately by New York State Attorney General Letitia James at a long-closed, ornate subway station beneath City Hall. The ceremony, marking the legal start of his term, was attended only by family, close aides and the media.
At the same time, crowds in Times Square welcomed the New Year with the traditional crystal ball drop, singing “New York, New York” as the city closed the chapter on outgoing mayor Eric Adams’ term.
Mamdani, a Shia Muslim born in Uganda, is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, who traces his roots to India. He won the mayoral race last November after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, riding on widespread anger over the rising cost of living.
His margin, however, was narrow. Mamdani secured 51 per cent of the vote, with the remainder split between Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, leaving nearly half the electorate unconvinced.
Since the election, he has softened or stepped back from some earlier radical positions and has sought to engage with Jewish groups after criticism that some of his past remarks and associations were anti-Semitic. The city’s fire commissioner resigned over these concerns, though the Jewish police commissioner stayed on.
Several of Mamdani’s proposals, particularly those tied to affordability, will require approval at the state level and significant funding. His call to “tax the rich” has drawn pushback, as around 1 per cent of earners already contribute nearly half of the city’s USD 18.5 billion income tax revenue, raising fears of an exodus of high-income residents.
Even as supporters celebrate a historic shift at City Hall, Mamdani begins his term facing deep scepticism, sharp political scrutiny and the challenge of turning bold promises into workable policy.
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