Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as mayor of New York City just after midnight on New Year's Day, marking a series of historic firsts for America's largest city.
The Guardian reports that the private ceremony took place in the decommissioned Old City Hall subway station, a beaux-arts architectural gem that opened in 1904 as one of the system's original stops. New York Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath, with Mamdani placing his hand on a Quran - becoming the first NYC mayor to do so, in observance of his Muslim faith. Some reports note he used family Qurans along with a historic one borrowed from the Schomburg Center.
Attendees included Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji; his parents, acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani; outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who attended to symbolize a peaceful transition; and a select group from his inaugural committee, featuring figures like actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola, and author Colson Whitehead.
"This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime," Mamdani said during the event. "Let the words we’ve spoken together, the dreams we’ve dreamt together, become the agenda we deliver together. New York, this power, it’s yours. This city belongs to you."