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Zohran Mamdani was publicly sworn in Thursday as the 112th mayor of New York City during a large public ceremony at City Hall, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to lead the largest city in the United States.
Mamdani took the oath of office on the Quran. The oath was administered for a second time by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist who backed Mamdani’s progressive campaign.
The ceremony followed an earlier symbolic private swearing-in held just after midnight at Manhattan’s historic Old City Hall subway station.
Addressing supporters, city officials and family members, Mamdani said he would serve all residents regardless of political differences.
“If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you,” he said.
Mamdani said he was elected as a democratic socialist and would govern according to those principles, rejecting criticism that described his platform as radical.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical,” he said.
He reiterated campaign promises that include universal childcare and rent freezes, stressing that no New Yorker should be priced out of basic necessities.
He said the city would not be governed solely for the wealthy, nor divided between rich and poor.
Mamdani highlighted New York City’s diversity, saying the city’s story would be written by residents who speak languages ranging from Pashto and Mandarin to Yiddish and Creole, and who worship in mosques, synagogues, churches, gurdwaras and temples, or do not worship at all.
He also referenced Palestinian New Yorkers in the Bay Ridge neighborhood, saying they should no longer face politics that claim universalism while treating them as exceptions.
Imam Khalid Latif of the Islamic Center of New York City addressed the crowd during the ceremony, which was also attended by priests and rabbis.
Sanders praised Mamdani’s campaign for challenging entrenched political and economic powers, calling his election “the biggest political upset in modern American history.”
He said Mamdani defeated the Democratic and Republican establishments, the president of the United States and wealthy interests, adding that policies such as affordable housing, free childcare and expanded public transit should not be considered radical.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered introductory remarks, describing Mamdani’s inauguration as the start of a new era for New York City.
She said Mamdani would be the first Muslim mayor, the first immigrant mayor in more than a century and the youngest mayor in generations, calling him a mayor for all New Yorkers.
During the ceremony, Mark Levine was sworn in as New York City’s 52nd comptroller, and Jumaane Williams took office as public advocate.
Mamdani, 34, is the youngest mayor of New York City in generations and the first to be born in Africa.
He was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian immigrant parents and moved to New York at age 7. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
He is the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani.
Mamdani won the Nov. 4 mayoral election, defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
He rose to prominence after winning a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing parts of Queens.
His mayoral campaign focused on affordability and expanding social services, including pledges for free public buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, expanded rent-stabilized housing and raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030.
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