Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani took the oath just after midnight to become the youngest mayor of New York City. He was accompanied by his wife Rama Duwaji, mother Mira Nair and father Mahmood Mamdani.
The 34-year-old Democrat was sworn in on his grandfather’s Qur’an by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The private ceremony was held inside the abandoned Old City Hall subway station.
First words as mayor
Mamdani wished New Yorkers a Happy New Year both “inside and outside the tunnel.” He called the moment “truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime.”
“I cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow as we begin our term. After just having taken my oath to become the mayor of the city of New York, I do so also here in the old City Hall subway station, a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health, the legacy of our city,” the New York City mayor said.
Mamdani linked the city’s past ambition with its future direction. “When Old City Hall Station first opened in 1904, one of New York’s 28 original subway stations, it was a physical monument to a city that dared to be both beautiful and build great things that would transform working people’s lives.”
He added that the spirit behind that ambition should guide his administration. “That ambition need not be a memory confined only to our past, nor must it be isolated only to the tunnels beneath City Hall, it will be the purpose of the administration fortunate enough to serve New Yorkers from the building above.”
Concluding his address, he said, “Let the words we’ve spoken together, the dreams we’ve dreamt together, become the agenda we deliver together,” he said. “New York, this power, it’s yours. This city belongs to you. Thank you all so much … and I will see you later.”
A larger public celebration to follow
Mamdani will be sworn in again later in the day in a grand public ceremony at City Hall at 1 PM, with US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of his political heroes, administering the oath. His office has also announced a public block party on Broadway along the famed “Canyon of Heroes,” traditionally known for ticker-tape parades.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will deliver the opening remarks at the ceremony, while acclaimed poet Cornelius Eady will read an original poem. Although the traditional inauguration is usually limited to 4,000 ticketed guests, Mamdani’s team has planned a free and open celebration, with dedicated viewing areas for tens of thousands to gather and participate.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio and current Mayor Eric Adams are expected to attend the event. Zohran Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to filmmaker Mira Nair and academic and author Mahmood Mamdani. His family moved to New York City when he was seven years old, and he became an American citizen in 2018.
Before running for office, Mamdani worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates across the city. In 2020, he won a seat in the New York State Assembly, representing a section of Queens, marking the beginning of his rise in city politics. For the public ceremonies and celebrations, Broadway between Worth Street and Battery Place, and Liberty Street between Church Street and Broadway, will be closed on Thursday for the inauguration, at the discretion of the NYPD.
‘This is certainly a new year’
Netizens responded to Mamdani’s speech. A user noted, “Congratulations to Mayor Mamdani on this historic moment. His choice to take the oath in a decommissioned subway station symbolizes a forward-looking vision for New York City’s future.”
Another added, “This is certainly going to be an exciting year.” “What was up with that awful New Years show? That was not at all as advertised,” critiqued a user. “Congratulations to Zohran Mamdani – what an incredible and inspiring start!,” wrote a netizen.
“Mamdani’s subway swearing-in? Perfect metaphor. His entire agenda’s a derailed train. Adams took 20,000 illegal guns off the streets—real results, not subway photo ops. Mamdani’s “honor” is a lifetime of failure: rent freezes collapsing housing stock, sanctuary policies inviting federal lawsuits, and a NYPD exodus he caused.
His “historic” win? A historic mistake. New Yorkers didn’t vote for a TikTok mayor—they’re stuck with one. Enjoy the ride to bankruptcy, folks,” added a user.
