US Politics
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as NYC’s first Muslim, South Asian and African-born mayor
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Shortly after midnight local time, in a historic former subway station beneath City Hall, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York, becoming the first Muslim, South Asian, and African-born person to lead the city.
“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said at the ceremony, where he was sworn in using his grandfather’s Quran and a historic Quran from the New York Public Library.
Mamdani said the choice of location was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city.”
“I can’t think of a better way to usher in 2026 than to be amongst family and friends and to inaugurate the man who will bring about a new era of progress, promise, and prosperity for New York City,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at the ceremony.
Later on New Year’s Day, Mamdani will be sworn in publicly on the steps of City Hall alongside progressive allies Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and a public block party will follow.
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Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams did not attend the early-morning ceremony, but is expected at the public inauguration event. On Wednesday night, he took part in the city’s famed ball drop in Times Square to mark the new year.
Mamdani, a former state assemblyman and son of Oscar-nominated film director Mira Nair, is a democratic socialist who won on a grassroots campaign promising to tackle affordability issues in New York with a rent freeze, free buses, and universal child care.
The 34-year-old, who was born in Kampala, Uganda, and grew up in New York City in the post-9/11 era, assembled a diverse coalition of lower-class New Yorkers, immigrants, and young people, promising a new era as he battled two representatives of scandal-plagued past administrations.
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He defeated both Adams, who faced corruption and bribery charges that were later dropped by the Trump administration, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned from state office amid widespread allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied.
During the campaign, Mamdani was the victim of attacks he characterized as racist and Islamophobic, including an inflammatory AI-produced “criminals for Zohran Mamdani” ad. The 34-year-old also weathered concerns from some Jewish New Yorkers uncomfortable with his past views as a member of the Palestinian solidarity movement. Mamdani insisted he would tackle antisemitism and other forms of identity-based hatred in the city.
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Campaign season also saw President Donald Trump threaten to cut off federal funds if Mamdani won, though the men later shared a cordial White House meeting in November where Trump, himself a native New Yorker, wished Mamdani luck.
The bonhomie is unlikely to last, and the administration is likely to clash with Mamdani over issues such as immigration. Mamdani has made speaking for immigrant communities in the city a core issue, while the Trump administration has made a point of launching federal immigration crackdowns in mostly Democrat-led cities such as Washington, Portland, Chicago, and Boston.
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Mamdani will also face questions in office about how to deliver and pay for his sweeping social services agenda, as well as whether he can work with the NYPD, which he previously called racist.
