NEW YORK, USA — Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office on Thursday as the 112th mayor of New York City, pledging to govern as a democratic socialist and to advance a sweeping progressive agenda focused on affordability, public transport, and social services.
Mamdani, 34, was ceremonially sworn in at City Hall on Thursday, January 1, 2026, after an official oath administered shortly after midnight by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
He is the city’s first Muslim mayor.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani told supporters gathered in subfreezing weather outside City Hall. He framed the moment as a collective achievement, saying, “This is not my success. It’s our success. It’s not my administration. It’s our administration.”
Ceremony Marked by Progressive Leaders
The inauguration featured remarks from federal lawmakers aligned with the party’s left wing.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont administered the ceremonial oath, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York addressed the crowd.
Performances included appearances by singer Lucy Dacus, entertainer Mandy Patinkin, and New York schoolchildren.
Ocasio-Cortez suggested New York could serve as a testing ground for broader progressive policies, saying, “If we can make it here, we can make it anywhere.”
Sanders told the audience that it was “not radical” to make essentials such as housing, food, and child care affordable, adding, “Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes is not radical. It is exactly the right thing to do.”
First Muslim Mayor Takes Oath on Two Qurans
Mamdani’s official swearing-in took place just after midnight in the disused City Hall IRT subway station, closed since 1945.
He said the location was chosen to highlight his commitment to public transportation, calling the ornate station “a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city.”
He took the oath with his hands on two Qurans — one belonging to his grandfather and another held at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, believed to have been produced in Ottoman Syria in the 1800s.
He also completed the formalities by paying a $9 fee and signing the official register.
Ambitious Policy Platform
Mamdani campaigned on proposals that include universal free child care, a fare-free bus network, and rent freezes for certain categories of rental housing.
He has said these initiatives would be funded largely through higher taxes on residents earning more than $1 million annually.
To enact tax increases, however, the administration will need support from state leaders in Albany.
While Democratic legislative leaders have signalled openness to higher taxes on wealthy residents and corporations, Governor Kathy Hochul has opposed raising taxes on individuals but has not ruled out other revenue measures.
“It is my job as governor to make sure that whomever the mayor is, they’re successful,” Hochul said in a December interview with WNYW-TV, noting ongoing budget discussions with state lawmakers.
Inclusive Message and Next Steps
At City Hall, Mamdani alternated between appeals for unity and criticism of corporate power, saying he intended to “govern expansively and audaciously.”
He said he would represent both supporters and those who did not vote for him, declaring, “No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”
He highlighted his background as a Muslim born in Uganda to Indian parents and raised in New York, joking, “Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox on a Sunday?”
A larger public celebration followed the formal ceremony, including a “block party” intended to open the event to those not among the invited guests.
Mamdani said his administration would be ready to begin work immediately, promising to deliver “day-to-day services that New Yorkers require” alongside his broader affordability programme.
The first major date on his governing calendar is January 7, the opening of New York State’s 2026 legislative session, where elements of his agenda are expected to be debated.
