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Zohran Mamdani became politician of New York City conscionable aft midnight connected Thursday (January 1, 2026), taking the oath of bureau astatine an historic, decommissioned subway presumption successful Manhattan.
Mr. Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn successful arsenic the archetypal Muslim person of America’s biggest city, placing his manus connected a Quran arsenic helium took his oath.
“This is genuinely the grant and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mr. Mamdani said.
The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a governmental ally, took spot astatine the aged City Hall station, 1 of the city’s archetypal subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.
He volition beryllium sworn successful again, successful grander style, successful a nationalist ceremonial astatine City Hall astatine 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, 1 of the mayor’s governmental heroes. That volition beryllium followed by what the caller medication is billing arsenic a nationalist artifact enactment connected a agelong of Broadway known arsenic the “Canyon of Heroes,” celebrated for its ticker-tape parades.
Mr. Mamdani present begins 1 of the astir unrelenting jobs successful American authorities arsenic 1 of the country’s most-watched politicians.
In summation to being the city's archetypal Muslim mayor, Mr. Mamdani is besides its archetypal of South Asian descent and the archetypal to beryllium calved successful Africa. At 34, Mr. Mamdani is besides the city’s youngest politician successful generations.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, center, arrives with his woman Rama Duwaji for a swearing-in ceremony, connected Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, successful New York. | Photo Credit: AP
In a run that helped marque “affordability” a buzzword crossed the governmental spectrum, the antiauthoritarian socialist promised to bring transformative alteration with policies intended to little the outgo of surviving successful 1 of the world’s astir costly cities. His level included escaped kid care, escaped buses, a rent frost for astir 1 cardinal households, and a aviator of city-run market stores.
But helium volition besides person to look different responsibilities: handling trash and snowfall and rats, portion getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.
Mr. Mamdani was calved successful Kampala, Uganda, the lad of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an world and author. His household moved to New York City erstwhile helium was 7, with Mr. Mamdani increasing up successful a post-9/11 metropolis wherever Muslims didn’t ever consciousness welcome. He became an American national successful 2018.
He worked connected governmental campaigns for Democratic candidates successful the metropolis earlier helium sought nationalist bureau himself, winning a authorities Assembly spot successful 2020 to correspond a conception of Queens.
Mr. Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, volition depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized flat successful the outer-borough to instrumentality up residence successful the stately mayoral residence successful Manhattan.
Mr. Mamdani inherits a metropolis connected the upswing, aft years of dilatory betterment from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent transgression has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is besides backmost to pre-COVID levels.
Yet heavy concerns stay astir precocious prices and rising rents successful the city.
He’ll besides person to woody with Republican President Donald Trump.
During the mayoral race, Mr. Trump threatened to withhold national backing from the metropolis if Mr. Mamdani won and mused astir sending National Guard troops to the city.
But Mr. Trump amazed supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial gathering successful November.
“I privation him to bash a large occupation and volition assistance him bash a large job,” Mr. Trump said.
Still, tensions betwixt the 2 leaders are astir definite to resurface, fixed their heavy argumentation disagreements, peculiarly implicit immigration.
Mr. Mamdani besides faces skepticism and absorption from immoderate members of the city’s Jewish assemblage implicit his criticisms of Israel’s government.
The caller politician and his squad person spent the weeks since his predetermination triumph preparing for the transition, surrounding Mr. Mamdani with seasoned hands who person worked wrong oregon alongside metropolis government.
That included persuading the city’s constabulary commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to stay successful her presumption — a determination that helped calm fears successful the concern assemblage that the medication mightiness beryllium readying extremist changes successful policing strategy.
