Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City in the wee hours of Thursday, taking the oath of office in the disused Old City Hall subway station in Manhattan.
Mamdani, a Democrat, laid a hand on the Quran on the signing table during the ceremony and became the Muslim mayor of the largest city in America. He also became the first mayor from the South Asian community and the first mayoralty-born member in Africa. He became the youngest mayor at the age of 34 years since the last century.
“This is truly the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said.
The oath was sworn by New York Attorney General Letitia James in the closed station, one of the original spots in the subway system. There will be another swearing-in ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m., with the participation of US Sen Bernie Sanders, followed by the Broadway Block Party hosted by the newly-formed administration.
Additionally, Mamdani ran on reducing living costs in a city where rental payments and expenditures on basic needs are one of the main concerns. Issues on his political platform included free childcare, free transport, a rent freeze for about one million households, and a pilot project involving city-owned grocery stores.
He assumes power as the city is still recovering from the period of COVID-19, as violent crime has decreased and tourism has picked up, but challenges abound regarding public safety, housing, and basic services. At the same time, he is also likely to have showdowns with President Donald Trump due to differences over immigration policy, among others.
