Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City's first Muslim mayor, promises expansive governance
Zohran Mamdani became the 112th Mayor of New York City on Thursday, January 1, 2026, taking office with a pledge to govern on behalf of the city's working class. In his inaugural speech, the Indian-origin Democrat vowed to act “expansively and audaciously” to address affordability and corporate greed, while thanking his family from “Kampala to Delhi.”
Mamdani, 34, is the city's youngest mayor in generations and the first Muslim to hold the office. He was sworn in at a decommissioned subway station below City Hall just after midnight, placing his hand on a Quran. Later, a public inauguration was held at City Hall, where U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders—a political hero of Mamdani—administered the oath for a second time.
In a nearly 25-minute speech, Mamdani said, “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed. But never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.” He promised an agenda centered on safety, affordability, and abundance, and declared that City Hall would no longer hesitate to use its power to improve lives. “To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives,” he stated.
Mamdani, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York at age 7. He became a U.S. citizen in 2018. His campaign focused on taxing the wealthy, expanding free child care, and making bus rides free—measures that Sanders defended as not radical. “In the richest country in the history of the world, making sure that people can live in affordable housing is not radical,” Sanders told the crowd.
U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised Mamdani as a mayor dedicated to the working class. “It is the people of New York who have chosen historic, ambitious leadership in response to untenable and unprecedented times. New York, we have chosen courage over fear. We have chosen prosperity for the many over spoils for the few,” she said.
Mamdani was joined on stage by his wife, Rama Duwaji. Former Mayors Eric Adams and Bill de Blasio attended. Actor Mandy Patinkin sang “Over the Rainbow” with a children's chorus, and Imam Khalid Latif delivered the invocation. Poet Cornelius Eady read an original poem.
Mamdani is also the first mayor of South Asian descent and the first born in Africa. His election highlighted a shift toward progressive policies in a city grappling with high living costs and inequality.
