Mamdani Takes Oath of Office Before Thousands of Supporters

Thousands of spectators lined Broadway and filled City Hall Park to celebrate the inauguration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who vowed to push his ambitious affordability agenda for New York City and not shy away from the promises he made during his historic campaign.

“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” he said at the conclusion of his remarks. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a political hero of the new mayor, presided over the swearing-in and thanked New Yorkers, as he also asked them to continue to support Mamdani as he leads the city.

“New York, thank you for inspiring our nation,” he said. “Thank you for giving us, from coast to coast, the hope and the vision that we can create government that works for all — not just the wealthy and the few.”

As Sanders spoke, supporters leapt to their feet to chant “tax the rich” followed by a roar of applause as he introduced Mamdani, the city’s 112th mayor and the youngest in a generation at 34.

Like he did when he took the formal oath in the first few moments of 2026, in a long-abandoned subway station underneath City Hall, Mamdani placed his hand on a Quran held by his wife, Rama Duwaji.

The crowd chanted “Zohran” as he took to the lectern for his speech, which lasted approximately 30 minutes.

“I stand before you moved by the privilege of taking this sacred oath, humbled by the faith that you have placed in me, and honored to serve as either your 111th or 112th mayor of New York City,” he said, alluding to recent reporting that the city has been miscounting its mayors since the 1600s.  

He also nodded to his election by a narrow margin amid a barrage of attacks.

“While only action can change minds, I promise you this — if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor,” he said. “Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for a second, hide from you.”

Although his speech referenced a litany of New York City foods and parks and even Knicks star Jalen Brunson, he also embraced the seriousness of the moment as he said he would not lower the ambitious agenda he laid out during his campaign — reiterating his pledges to deliver a rent freeze, free buses, free child care and government-owned grocery stores. 

“The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations,” he said. “We may not always succeed but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.”

His administration would seek the “answer to that age-old question: ‘Who does New York belong to?’” he said. 

“Well, my friends, we can look to Madiba [Nelson Mandela] and the South African Freedom Charter: New York belongs to all who live in it.” 

Mamdani was sworn in alongside Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and City Comptroller Mark Levine. 

An estimated 4,000 people attended the ceremony inside City Hall Park and tens of thousands watched on screens lined up and down Broadway.

Supporters danced in the frigid temperatures at City Hall before the ceremony as a DJ played music. 

The ceremony was jubilant, with actor Mandy Patinkin performing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with the PS 22 student chorus from Staten Island, and other singers performed and danced on stage. Singer Lucy Dacus performed the labor anthem “Bread and Roses,” and Babbulicious performed “Gaddi Red Challenger,” a Bhangra song rewritten for Mamdani.

Poet Cornelius Eady read “Proof,” written for the inauguration, he said, to celebrate Mamdani’s win as showing what is possible.

“You have to imagine that space they said wasn’t yours, that time they said you’d never own,” he read. “The invisible city lit on its way. This moment is our proof.”

Thousands of supporters gathered along Broadway for hours before the ceremony began, braving below-freezing temperatures, hopeful to catch a glimpse of the new mayor and witness his historic inauguration.

Rafael Pabón of the South Bronx arrived hours before the ceremony began at 1:30 p.m.

“I’ve never voted, in the eight years I’ve lived in the city, because I felt none of the candidates represented me,” Pabón, who works in the city health department, said. “Until Mamdani.”

Many of those gathered at the inauguration’s “block party” on Broadway between Barclay and Liberty streets wore Democratic Socialists of America beanies and Mamdani campaign swag that had been supplied exclusively for volunteer canvassers and their supervisors during his campaign. 

Others made their own sartorial designs for the occasion, like Hudson Tor of the Upper West Side, who wore custom earrings made from the campaign’s “Zetrocards” and the now-retired Metrocard. Another supporter, who identified herself only as Jen, wore an elaborate headdress made of a hand fan with the campaign’s logo, disco balls and artificial flowers.

Jocelyn De Freites, a single mom from Kensington, Brooklyn, said she looked forward to “just being around other people who are celebrating, who are enjoying themselves, who share the values of the city.”

Mamdani’s inauguration marked the first time Jeff Francetti, a college student from Boston, ever attended a political rally. Originally from Nassau County, Long Island, he said Mamdani gives Gen Zers like himself “hope that things can actually change for the better.”

Mamdani’s surprise primary win was bolstered by a massive grassroots campaign operation, with an estimated 100,000 volunteers knocking on doors and meeting with voters across the city. His June win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who had the money, political backing and union support that Mamdani lacked — was repeated months later in November, when Cuomo ran as an independent.

In his inauguration speech, Mamdani declared that “this is a government of New York, by New York, and for New York,” and asked everyone to support him and his teams as they get to work.

“We will set an example for the world,” he said of New York City.

Hours after Mamdani was sworn in, he announced the appointment of Cea Weaver as director of the city’s tenant office while visiting striking renters at a building in Prospect Lefferts Gardens in Brooklyn.

He also announced his first four executive orders, one of which formally appointed his five deputy mayors. Another revoked all executive orders issued between Sept. 26, 2024 — the day former mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal bribery charges — and Dec. 31, 2025.

That move, according to a City Hall press release, was to ensure “a fresh start for the incoming administration.”

The new mayor also created two new task forces to review city-owned properties to identify sites “suitable for affordable housing development,” and to streamline housing permits and construction.