Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of office at a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan. Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America's biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath. "This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime," Mamdani said in a brief speech, per the AP. The private ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the historic City Hall station, one of the city's original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.
In Mamdani's first remarks as mayor, he said the old subway station was a "testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city" as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn. The new mayor then closed: "Thank you all so much, now I will see you later," he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.
Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1pm by Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor's political heroes. That will be followed by what his office is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the "Canyon of Heroes," famous for its ticker-tape parades. Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country's most-watched politicians. In addition to being the city's first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city's youngest mayor in generations.
In a campaign that helped make "affordability" a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world's most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores. But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes. (Read more about the Qurans Mamdani chose to use.)
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