Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City during the opening minutes of 2026 in a ceremony that reflected both his heritage and his political ideology. On his first day in office, Mamdani continued the themes of his successful campaign, focusing on issues such as housing and differentiating himself from his predecessor.
Inauguration ceremonies highlight Mamdani’s heritage and politics
Mamdani was sworn in just after midnight on New Year’s Day in a ceremony that reflected his identity as the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor of New York City, as well as a progressive politician focused on issues of affordability. Mamdani, who made free and affordable public transportation one of his campaign platforms, chose to be inaugurated in the decommissioned subway station beneath City Hall. Mamdani was sworn in using two copies of the Quran: one belonging to his grandfather, the other on loan from the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a friend and supporter of Mamdani, conducted the swearing-in.
The early morning ceremony was followed by a larger event on the steps of City Hall later that day. This event featured two fellow democratic socialists who supported Mamdani’s campaign: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who conducted this event’s swearing-in ceremony, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mamdani emphasized his political leanings in his speech.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani told the crowd during his half-hour speech. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
He covered familiar themes such as “safety, affordability and abundance” for average New Yorkers and quoted New York rapper Jadakiss by name during the address, pledging that his administration will “be outside.”
Mamdani’s first executive orders target housing and break with the Adams administration
Mamdani hit the ground running on his first day in office by issuing several executive orders while holding his first press conference as mayor. One order revives the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, with housing and tenants rights activist Cea Weaver tapped to lead the organization. The other two executive orders create new task forces, LIFT (Land Inventory Fast Track) and SPEED (Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development), aimed at quickening the process of developing new housing in the city. In addition to issuing his executive orders, Mamdani also revoked executive orders issued by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams from Sept. 26, 2024, the day the then-mayor was indicted on federal corruption charges in a case the Trump administration later dropped.
Mamdani held this event at one of the 90 apartment buildings owned by Pinnacle Realty, a company currently facing bankruptcy and labeled by Mamdani as one of the city’s worst landlords. Mamdani has pledged that his office will intervene in the Pinnacle case to protect the interests of tenants and New York. He has appointed the city’s top lawyer, Steve Banks, to handle the case.
“It is a very important moment now today for the city of New York to say we are going to be in that proceeding in a way in which the path forward is not simply to address the city’s interests, but the city’s interests are also bound up with the tenants’ interests,” Banks told reporters.
Mamdani’s win in last year’s election was a historic event for New York City, introducing unprecedented diversity to the city’s leadership and endorsing an explicitly progressive political agenda. Mamdani’s first words and actions as mayor appear designed to demonstrate that he’s not backing away from the elements of his identity and political platform that appealed to New York voters.