Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as New York City mayor after midnight on New Year’s Day, after a once-improbable rise to power saw the 34-year-old democratic socialist crush a six-decade state political dynasty and charm an effusive President Donald Trump at the White House.
He called taking the office "the honor and a privilege of a lifetime" after signing the paperwork and paying a $9 filing fee − with exact change − to make it official.
Mamdani, surrounded by his family, was administered the oath by New York Attorney General Letitia James under the Spanish-tiled arches of a landmarked former subway station below City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
In brief remarks following his oath, Mamdani called the setting "a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, health and the legacy of our city." He also announced Mike Flynn as his Department of Transportation Commissioner.
Mamdani, a former state assemblyman from Queens, is the city’s 112th mayor, and the first Muslim and first person of South Asian descent to lead America's largest city and business and cultural capital.
