NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrates inauguration with public ceremony

Mamdani was sworn successful arsenic politician of New York City in a backstage midnight ceremony that was layered successful symbolism. 

Mamdani took his oath connected a Quran alternatively than a Bible at the Old City Hall subway station, mounting the code for a historical caller section successful New York City leadership.

"This is genuinely the grant and the privilege of a lifetime," Mamdani said arsenic helium officially became the 112th mayor. 

Mamdani said helium chose to beryllium sworn successful connected the historical Quran to grant the heavy roots of Muslim communities successful the city. 

The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James at the long-closed Old City Hall station, 1 of New York's archetypal 28 subway stops, a relic of the city's earliest ambitions for nationalist transit.

Zohran Mamdani is sworn successful arsenic New York City's 112th politician by New York Attorney General Letitia James, left, alongside his woman Rama Duwaji, right, successful the erstwhile City Hall subway presumption connected Jan. 1, 2026. Amir Hamja-Pool / Getty Images / Amir Hamja for The New York Times

"A testament to the value of nationalist transit, to the vitality, the health, and the bequest of our city," Mamdani said.

Using the infinitesimal to underscore his proscription agenda, helium besides announced Michael Flynn arsenic his Department of Transportation commissioner.

"Someone who's experienced, who is fluent successful the scenery arsenic it is, and who is ambitious and imaginative towards the scenery arsenic it could be. And I tin deliberation of nary amended idiosyncratic than the antheral alongside me," Mamdani said.

Mamdani announced the "Inauguration of a New Era" artifact party successful the Canyon of Heroes, the agelong of Broadway successful Lower Manhattan that's celebrated for ticker-tape parades. 

Mamdani's squad anticipates tens of thousands of radical volition beryllium capable to be the festivities connected Broadway, from Liberty Street to Murray Street. 

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The artifact enactment is accompanying the inauguration ceremony, with music, performances and interfaith elements, according to the mayor's team.

Mamdani said information volition beryllium choky astatine City Hall Plaza and on the artifact enactment way passim the inauguration.  

Zohran Mamdani won the 2025 New York City mayor's contention with just implicit 50% of the vote successful the November wide election. He defeated erstwhile Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who won astir 41% of the ballot arsenic an autarkic — and Republican Curtis Sliwa. 

Mamdani's run centered around the outgo of living energized a conjugation of young and progressive voters, adjacent with immoderate critics questioning his acquisition and raising concerns astir his views connected Israel, which Cuomo's run zeroed successful on.

Mamdani's affordability agenda, including a rent frost and cosmopolitan kid care, archetypal propelled him to victory in the Democratic primary, erstwhile helium soundly defeated Cuomo for the party's nomination.