{"id":86602,"date":"2026-01-01T15:35:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T15:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/86602\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T15:35:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T15:35:06","slug":"zohran-mamdani-sworn-in-as-new-york-city-mayor-at-midnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/86602\/","title":{"rendered":"Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor at midnight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as New York City\u2019s mayor shortly after midnight, marking the start of his tenure with a low-key, private ceremony held inside a long-shuttered beaux-arts subway station. The unusual setting offered a quiet opening act before a full day of public events, including a formal swearing-in ceremony and a block party planned outside City Hall later in the day.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old was administered the oath by New York Attorney General Letitia James, with only close family present for the late-night moment. Standing beside Mamdani were his wife, Rama Duwaji, along with his parents, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a longtime professor of African studies at Columbia University, underscoring the intimate tone of the ceremony that preceded the city\u2019s public celebrations.
Reflecting on the ceremony, Mamdani stated, \u201cThis is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow as we begin our term,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter just having taken my oath to become the mayor of the city of New York, I do so also here in the old City Hall subway station \u2013 a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health, the legacy of our city,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n

Soon after, Mamdani introduced Mike Flynn as New York City\u2019s new transportation commissioner, bringing on board a veteran city planner to lead one of the administration\u2019s most closely watched portfolios. The mayor said his goal was to turn the city\u2019s public transit system into \u201cthe envy of the world,\u201d setting an ambitious tone for the appointment.<\/p>\n

Flynn, in brief remarks, called the role the \u201cjob of a lifetime,\u201d drawing applause from those gathered.
Wrapping up the moment, Mamdani thanked the audience and, prompting laughter, said, \u201cThank you all so much \u2026 and I will see you later,\u201d before heading back up the broad subway staircase where he had just taken the oath, trailed by family members and attendees.<\/p>\n

READ: Zohran Mamdani\u2019s mayoral tenure begins with an embarrassing snafu<\/a> (December 22, 2025)<\/p>\n

The late-night ceremony also drew outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who had initially stopped short of confirming his attendance. He later said he decided to come because he\u2019d \u201clike to be there to show the smooth, peaceful transition of power,\u201d signaling a public handoff between the two administrations.<\/p>\n

A first in NYC history<\/p>\n

In a moment that reflected his Muslim faith, Mamdani took the oath of office on a Qur\u2019an, becoming the first New York City mayor to be sworn in using Islam\u2019s holiest book. The midnight ceremony saw him place his hand on two Qur\u2019ans, one passed down from his grandfather and another that once belonged to Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian. The second volume was lent by the New York Public Library, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n

The gathering also included a wide cross-section of New Yorkers chosen by Mamdani for his inaugural committee. Among them were actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola and writer Colson Whitehead, alongside advocates, small business owners and campaign workers. The incoming mayor\u2019s office said the group was invited because they had \u201cprovided perspective, guidance and cultural sensibility\u201d in shaping the ceremony.<\/p>\n

The private swearing-in will give way to a larger public event at 1 pm, where Mamdani is set to be introduced by his political ally, Bronx Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The formal oath at that ceremony will be administered by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.<\/p>\n

Why City Hall Station mattered<\/p>\n

According to his office, the decision to begin his mayoralty at the old City Hall subway station was deliberate, reflecting Mamdani\u2019s \u201ccommitment to the working people who keep our city running every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Old City Hall Station first opened in 1904 \u2013 one of New York\u2019s 28 original subway stations \u2013 it was a physical monument to a city that dared to be both beautiful and build great things that would transform working people\u2019s lives,\u201d Mamdani told in a statement, as quoted by The Guardian. \u201cThat ambition need not be a memory confined only to our past.\u201d<\/p>\n

The celebrations cap a striking ascent to power in the nation\u2019s largest city, one that has reshaped New York\u2019s political landscape. Mamdani entered the race as a relative unknown, and his victory also marked a breakthrough moment for the Democratic Socialist movement, which he represents while running on the Democratic ticket.<\/p>\n

Early indications of his electoral strength surfaced months earlier, ahead of a bruising primary that ended with Mamdani defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo later mounted an independent bid, while Eric Adams, facing scrutiny from federal prosecutors at the time, opted not to pursue the Democratic nomination.<\/p>\n

By April, Mamdani was still well behind, trailing Cuomo by a wide margin of 36% to 64%. That gap began to close as his campaign gained momentum, fueled by a sharp social media strategy and an expansive grassroots push that appeared to mobilize first-time voters grappling with the rising cost of living in a post-pandemic New York.<\/p>\n

A campaign that felt everywhere<\/p>\n

His presence was hard to ignore. The campaign bounced across TikTok, filled Instagram stories, and showed up on storefronts and street corners across the city. Rather than a conventional \u201cVote For Me\u201d appeal, the message felt closer to a collective call: Hey! This is our city. Let\u2019s fix it!<\/p>\n

And there was plenty to fix. The race unfolded against the backdrop of a housing crunch, surging prices, and a widening gap between political institutions and the people they claim to serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cA New York You Can Afford\u201d became Mamdani\u2019s rallying cry in a deeply polarized national political climate. The campaign mirrored the energy he promised to bring to City Hall, spirited, insurgent, and driven by a clear sense of purpose. \u201cFreeze Rent\u201d, \u201cChildcare for All\u201d, and \u201cFast & Free Buses\u201d were among the demands he amplified, cutting through the noise with striking clarity.<\/p>\n

Even the campaign\u2019s visual language broke from tradition. Mamdani\u2019s branding did not resemble standard political graphics. Instead, it felt native to the city itself, multilingual, electric, and a little unruly. The vivid blue backdrop paired with hot orange and sunlight yellow lettering set it apart from sanitized, conventional designs, evoking the bold punch of superhero logos and capturing the pulse of the Big Apple in ways rival campaigns had missed.<\/p>\n

That visual sensibility was also shaped by Mamdani\u2019s own ties to Bollywood, which lent the campaign a distinctly cinematic touch. The campaign was read less like traditional political ads and more like pieces of everyday community life, pinned to deli refrigerators, taped to pharmacy windows, displayed on apartment balconies, or tacked onto neighborhood bulletin boards.<\/p>\n

READ: Zohran Mamdani elected New York\u2019s first Indian American, Muslim mayor<\/a> (November 5, 2025)<\/p>\n

Each poster featured Mamdani\u2019s smiling portrait front and center, paired with the straightforward message, \u201cZohran for New York City,\u201d an approach that emphasized accessibility over polish. Language was central to the design strategy. Campaign materials appeared in Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and English, among others, reflecting the city\u2019s linguistic richness and helping the campaign feel grounded in the neighborhoods it sought to represent.<\/p>\n

By communicating in the languages people use in daily life, the visuals became instantly familiar and expanded the campaign\u2019s reach, allowing supporters to see themselves in the movement. In a city built by generations of immigrants, that emphasis on inclusion aligned with Mamdani\u2019s vocal opposition to ICE raids, reinforcing a broader message around safety, dignity, and belonging.<\/p>\n

A campaign spokesperson credited the win to Mamdani \u201cbeing everywhere all of the time,\u201d pointing to an operation that blended constant visibility with ground-level organizing. More than 10,000 volunteers fanned out across the city, knocking on over 100,000 doors, while the campaign hammered home a platform centered on affordability.<\/p>\n

That agenda included calls for rent freezes, free metro transport, and city-run grocery stores, alongside a proposal to create a department of community safety that would invest in mental health programs across the city. Together, the spokesperson said, the ideas and the organizing helped turn enthusiasm into votes.<\/p>\n

Victory speech and a Bollywood finish<\/p>\n

Mamdani in his victory speech, had stated, \u201cIn this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light. Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too.\u201d
As he went on saying, \u201cNew York will remain a city of immigrants: a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and, as of tonight, led by an immigrant.\u201d<\/p>\n

His victory speech had ended with a Bollywood masala. He closed his speech with closing his victory speech with the iconic \u201cDhoom Machale\u201d track, a moment that lit up social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as New York City\u2019s mayor shortly after midnight, marking the start…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[41370,11317,9,24,55,2695,54,56,5001,41915,82],"class_list":["post-86602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-city-hall-subway-station","tag-democratic-socialist","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-mayor","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-ny","tag-public-transit","tag-quran","tag-zohran-mamdani"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}