NEW YORK (AP) — Zohran Mamdani grew to become mayor of New York Metropolis simply after midnight Thursday, taking the oath of workplace at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.
Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the primary Muslim chief of America’s greatest metropolis, inserting his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.
“That is really the respect and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani stated in a short speech.
The personal ceremony, administered by New York Legal professional Common Letitia James, a political ally, occurred on the outdated Metropolis Corridor station, one of many metropolis’s unique subway stops that’s identified for its gorgeous arched ceilings.
In Mamdani’s first remarks as mayor, he stated the outdated subway station was a “testomony to the significance of public transit to the vitality, the well being and the legacy of our metropolis” as he introduced the appointment of his new Division of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.
The brand new mayor then closed: “Thanks all a lot, now I’ll goodbye,” he stated with a smile earlier than heading up a flight of stairs.
Mamdani shall be sworn in once more, in grander fashion, in a public ceremony at Metropolis Corridor at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of many mayor’s political heroes. That shall be adopted by what his workplace is billing as a public block get together on a stretch of Broadway generally known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” well-known for its ticker-tape parades.
Mamdani now begins some of the unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of many nation’s most-watched politicians.
Along with being the town’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani can also be its first of South Asian descent and the primary to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani can also be the town’s youngest mayor in generations.
In a marketing campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword throughout the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to deliver transformative change with insurance policies meant to decrease the price of dwelling in one of many world’s costliest cities. His platform included free baby care, free buses, a hire freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery shops.
However he can even must face different duties: dealing with trash and snow and rats, whereas getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an instructional and writer. His household moved to New York Metropolis when he was 7, with Mamdani rising up in a post-9/11 metropolis the place Muslims didn’t at all times really feel welcome. He grew to become an American citizen in 2018.
He labored on political campaigns for Democratic candidates within the metropolis earlier than he sought public workplace himself, profitable a state Meeting seat in 2020 to symbolize a piece of Queens.
Mamdani and his spouse, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, hire stabilized residence within the outer-borough to take up residence within the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.
Mamdani inherits a metropolis on the upswing, after years of gradual restoration from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Vacationers are again. Unemployment, which soared through the pandemic years, can also be again to pre-COVID ranges.
But deep considerations stay about excessive costs and rising rents within the metropolis.
He’ll additionally must take care of Republican President Donald Trump.
In the course of the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the town if Mamdani received and mused about sending Nationwide Guard troops to the town.
However Trump stunned supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White Home for what ended up being a cordial assembly in November.
“I would like him to do an incredible job and can assist him do an incredible job,” Trump stated.
Nonetheless, tensions between the 2 leaders are nearly sure to resurface, given their deep coverage disagreements, notably over immigration.
Mamdani additionally faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the town’s Jewish group over his criticisms of Israel’s authorities.
The brand new mayor and his staff have spent the weeks since his election victory making ready for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned palms who’ve labored inside or alongside metropolis authorities.
That included persuading the town’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to stay in her place — a transfer that helped calm fears within the enterprise group that the administration could be planning radical modifications in policing technique.
