In a midnight ceremony held at the decommissioned Old City Hall subway station, Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as the Mayor of New York City.
The 34-year-old leader took his oath of office with his hand placed on a Quran, marking a landmark moment as the first person of the Muslim faith and the youngest individual in generations to lead the United States’ largest metropolis.
The ceremony was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, formalizing a transition of power that introduces several historic firsts to the city’s executive branch.
Okay News reports that Mamdani, who is of South Asian descent and was born in Uganda, utilized the unique transit-themed venue to emphasize his administration’s focus on public infrastructure and urban vitality. During the event, he also announced Mike Flynn as the incoming Commissioner of the Department of Transportation.
Mamdani’s administration enters office on a platform centered on city-wide affordability, including proposed initiatives for free childcare, a pilot program for municipal grocery stores, and rent freezes for roughly one million households. Following the private underground swearing-in, a public inauguration and a celebratory parade are scheduled to take place at City Hall and along the “Canyon of Heroes” later this afternoon.
