Overview
- Mamdani took the official oath just after midnight to start 2026, then held a packed public celebration at City Hall along Broadway with thousands in attendance.
- He swore on the Qur'an before New York Attorney General Letitia James and repeated a ceremonial oath with Senator Bernie Sanders, who praised the movement powering his win, as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened the program.
- The new mayor promised to govern as a democratic socialist, proposing a rent freeze for stabilized units, free municipal buses, subsidized food markets, expanded childcare, and higher taxes on high earners.
- Supporters presented the inauguration as a milestone for representation, hailing Mamdani as the city’s first Muslim mayor and describing him as the first immigrant mayor in a century.
- Resistance looms from establishment figures and national opponents, with Michael Bloomberg absent, Chuck Schumer attending coolly, and potential federal tensions noted despite a cordial post‑election meeting with President Donald Trump.