Zoran Mandani is sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York by New York State Attorney General Letitia James (left) and his wife Rama Dowaj (right) at the Old City Hall subway station in New York City on January 1, 2026.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Zoran Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s mayor in the first minutes of the new year at the historic City Hall subway station, flanked by his wife Rama Dowaj.
The oath, pledging to support the U.S. Constitution and New York state law, was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“Happy New Year to all New Yorkers in and above this tunnel,” Mamdani said, standing under a vaulted ceiling with the words City Hall hanging above his head. “This is truly an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime privilege.”
Mamdani is a pioneering candidate, and many in the city of 8 million, both hopeful and fearful, expect him to be a disruptive mayor.
The Democratic Socialist’s plans for his first day in office Thursday reflect his politics and priorities and do not deviate significantly from his predecessor’s solemn official oath at midnight followed by an afternoon celebration.
New York state law states that a four-year mayoral term begins on January 1 after the election. It is traditional to hold a small swearing-in ceremony after midnight to avoid any ambiguity about who is in charge of America’s most populous city.
Mamdani chose the Old City Hall subway station, which was decommissioned in the middle of the last century and can only be accessed a few times a year on guided tours, as the place to take the oath.
Mamdani’s transition team said the subway construction reflects his “commitment to the workers who keep our cities running every day.”
Mamdani, a 34-year-old former state lawmaker, has campaigned around affordability issues that some see as the path forward for Democrats across the country ahead of midterm elections, promising a rent freeze and free busing and child care.
Mamdani turned out a record turnout of more than 2 million voters, winning 50% of the vote, nearly 10 points ahead of independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Attorney General James was one of his early prominent supporters. During President Donald Trump’s first administration, Mr. James launched an investigation into his business practices in New York, which resulted in a judge finding in 2024 that Mr. Trump had fraudulently inflated his net worth to defraud lenders.
The Trump administration has targeted James during her second term, accusing her of mortgage fraud.
Grant Reher, a political science professor at Syracuse University, said Mr. James’ role at the inauguration will send a message to Mr. Mamdani’s core supporters that he “intends to be independent of the president.”
The dawn of a new era
The Ugandan-born Mamdani, who will be New York City’s first Muslim mayor, has been harshly critical of Trump on issues such as immigration, and said after a warm meeting at the White House that he had many differences of opinion with the president.
But the state attorney general’s appointment may say more about Mr. Mamdani’s political alliances than his rivalry.
US President Donald Trump (Republican) meets and shakes hands in the Oval Office of the White House on November 21, 2025, in Washington, DC.
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images
In 2014, Bill de Blasio, whom Mamdani considers the greatest New York mayor of his lifetime, was sworn in privately by then-New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman at the beginning of his second term.
Brooklyn-born Vermont progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, who Mamdani says is a source of inspiration, presided over de Blasio’s public inauguration in 2018, and Mamdani will fill a similar role.
Liberal Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is also on the agenda for the inauguration.
Plans for Mamdani’s public inauguration include a ceremony on the steps of City Hall and a program of music and speeches in front of 4,000 guests gathered on City Hall Square.
Additionally, tens of thousands of people will be able to watch the livestream, which Mamdani’s team has dubbed “The Beginning of a New Era,” in a free viewing area set up along Broadway.
Mr. Mamdani raised $2.6 million from about 30,000 donors for the transition and celebrations, more than any other mayor on record this century in both total donations and single contributions, according to official election data showing disclosures of inauguration expenses starting with Michael Bloomberg’s first term in 2001.
Sami Zaman, owner of Sami’s Kabab House, a laid-back Afghan restaurant in Astoria where Mamdani shot her campaign video with Sanders, was a founding committee member along with filmmakers, writers and activists.
After becoming mayor, Mamdani will move from his one-bedroom apartment in Astoria, protected from steep price increases by the city’s rent stabilization program, to Gracie Mansion, New York’s official residence on Manhattan’s upscale Upper East Side.
Bankers and others in New York, the country’s financial capital, had expressed concerns about Mr. Mamdani, and since his election many have sought ways to work with him.
The city also has another mayor with ties to democratic socialism, David Dinkins. Dinkins did not attach much importance to his involvement with the Democratic Socialists of America.
During his tenure from 1990 to 1993, he overcame the budget deficit and persuaded private companies to stay in New York, according to city archivists.
