Overview
- Zohran Mamdani will take a private oath just before midnight at the Old City Hall subway station administered by Attorney General Letitia James, followed by a 1 p.m. public swearing-in at City Hall led by Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- A large public "Block Party on Broadway" in the Canyon of Heroes will accompany the ceremony, with RSVPs required for public viewing and roughly 4,000 ticketed guests for the City Hall event.
- Mamdani’s platform includes a rent freeze for about 1 million stabilized apartments, universal free child care and free city buses, yet a projected budget gap of up to $8 billion and recent rent board appointments by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams could complicate early moves.
- He enters with strong opposition after a narrow victory, heightened distrust from many Jewish New Yorkers and scrutiny of transition and inaugural committee choices, including a resignation over past antisemitic social media posts.
- Federal relations loom large as the transition advances a six-page "Trump‑Proofing NYC" legal strategy following a cordial Oval Office meeting, while Gov. Kathy Hochul signals potential alignment on universal child care and says he could surprise critics.