Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as the new mayor of New York City, making history as the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations.
The 34 year-old Democrat took office just after midnight on Thursday.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at a historic, unused subway station near City Hall in Manhattan.
Mamdani placed his hand on the Quran as he took the oath, which was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
A larger public ceremony will be held later in the day at City Hall, where US Senator Bernie Sanders is set to administer the oath again.
This will be followed by a public celebration on Broadway.
Mamdani now takes on one of the toughest political jobs in the United States, leading the country’s largest city.
Along with being the first Muslim mayor, he is also the first mayor of South Asian origin and the first to be born in Africa.
His election campaign focused on lowering living costs in one of the world’s most expensive cities.
His promises include free childcare, free bus services, a rent freeze for about one million homes, and a trial program for city-run grocery stores.
As mayor, Mamdani will also face everyday city challenges such as waste management, snow removal, subway problems and road repairs.
He is expected to deal with political pressure as well, including from Republican President Donald Trump, who had earlier criticised him but later invited him for a meeting at the White House.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York City with his family at the age of seven.
He became a US citizen in 2018 and entered politics after working on Democratic campaigns.
He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 and went on to defeat former Governor Andrew Cuomo in both the Democratic primary and the mayoral election.
With his inauguration, Mamdani begins his term as one of the most closely watched mayors in the country.
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