Zohran Mamdani entered office just after midnight Thursday, marking both a generational and ideological shift in New York City politics. At 34, Mamdani becomes the youngest mayor in more than 100 years and the city’s 112th overall. He is also its first Muslim mayor and first South Asian mayor, distinctions that underscore the symbolic weight of his ascent alongside the policy agenda he has pledged to pursue.

The swearing-in took place during a private ceremony attended by immediate family, including his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, and his parents, filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani. New York State Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath. Moments afterward, Mamdani said, “This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime.”

“A Testament to Public Transit”

The ceremony’s location carried deliberate meaning. Mamdani was sworn in at the disused City Hall subway station beneath City Hall Park in Manhattan, a site closed since 1945 and accessible only on limited tours. The station is one of 28 original subway stops opened in 1904, a period that coincided with the city’s rapid expansion and infrastructural ambition.

Following the ceremony, Mamdani described the site as “a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city.” He also announced the appointment of Michael Flynn, a longtime city planner, as commissioner of the Department of Transportation, signaling early alignment between symbolism and staffing.

Public transportation has been central to Mamdani’s political profile. During the campaign, he pledged to make city buses “fast and free,” expand the bicycle lane network, and reallocate street space toward pedestrians. Those commitments sit alongside broader affordability proposals, including a rent freeze for roughly 2 million rent-stabilized tenants and a universal childcare program.

Constraints Beyond City Hall

A larger public inauguration was scheduled for Thursday afternoon at City Hall Plaza, with organizers expecting at least 4,000 attendees. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was set to introduce Mamdani, with the public oath administered by Senator Bernie Sanders. A transition-team-organized block party along Broadway was billed as the “Inauguration of a New Era.”

Despite the celebratory tone, Mamdani takes office facing structural limits. His proposal to tax wealthy New Yorkers to finance new programs requires approval from the state legislature and the governor. He inherits an economy described as generally strong, yet one where housing, childcare, and transportation costs continue to pressure working-class residents.

Mamdani’s rise has also resonated beyond city politics. His primary victory last summer unsettled party leadership and intensified debate within the national Democratic Party over ideology, messaging, and whether affordability should anchor its electoral strategy ahead of upcoming midterm contests.