Newly sworn in Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed New Yorkers in front of City Hall Thursday afternoon in a 24-minute inauguration address.

“My fellow New Yorkers, today begins a new era. I stand before you, moved by the privilege of taking this sacred oath,” he said. “But I do not stand alone. I stand beside you.”

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Newly sworn in Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed New Yorkers in front of City Hall Thursday afternoon in a 24-minute inauguration address

Mamdani is the first Muslim and first person of South Asian descent to serve in the position of mayor of New York City. At 34 years old, he is also the five boroughs’ youngest mayor in the past 100 years

Mamdani was formally sworn in just after midnight Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James

Mamdani is the first Muslim and first person of South Asian descent to serve in the position of mayor of New York City. At 34 years old, he is also the five boroughs’ youngest mayor in the past 100 years.

Mamdani said in his address that even if there are people who don’t agree with him and his agenda, he “will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for one second, hide from you.”

He promised New Yorkers to “restore” the path of government across the city.

“I cannot blame anyone who has come to question the role of government, whose faith in democracy has been eroded by decades of apathy. We will restore that path by walking a different path. One where government is no longer solely the final recourse for those struggling. One where excellence is no longer the exception,” he said.

Toward the end of his speech, Mamdani said, “There are many who will be watching.”

“They want to know if it is right to hope again. So standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers will do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world,” he said. “The work continues. The work endures. The work, my friends, has just begun.”

Mamdani took a ceremonial oath of office Thursday afternoon that was administered by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders said Mamdani’s victory was “the biggest political upset in modern American history.”

“You knocked on doors, you shared your dreams and your hopes for the future of this city. And in the process, you took on the Democratic establishment, the Republican establishment, the president of the United States and some enormously wealthy oligarchs, and you defeated them in the biggest political upset in modern American history,” he said to Mamdani’s supporters.

Mamdani was formally sworn in just after midnight Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In the 2025 mayoral race, Mamdani wasn’t always the frontrunner. In a February Quinnipiac University poll, he only had 8% of support from voters — trailing behind former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Mayor Eric Adams.

By June, however, Mamdani’s campaign efforts appeared to have paid off, with a poll released a day before primary day showing him surpassing Cuomo in the final round of ranked-choice voting. Ultimately, he won the primary after receiving 56% of votes in the final round of ranked-choice voting.

He eventually secured his seat at City Hall by winning against both Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in November’s general election.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez kicked off Thursday afternoon’s inauguration ceremony.

“In Zohran Mamdani, we have chosen a mayor who is relentlessly dedicated to making life not just possible, but aspirational for working people,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez added that Mamdani will be “a mayor for all of us.”

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was also sworn in for another term Thursday.

Williams, who has been the Public Advocate since 2019, got emotional during his address while speaking to his younger self.

“Little Black boy, you are worth it, and you always were,” Williams said while the crowd began to cheer. “And without any titles, you were enough. You were always enough, and you deserve to accept love, and you deserve to be protected, and I’m honored to be here to help create a city that is worth that for you. And I’m so proud of you.”

Mark Levine, who was previously the Manhattan borough president, was also ceremonially sworn in as the city comptroller. He had been formally sworn in during a private ceremony on Tuesday.