New York, USA: New York City ushered in the New Year with a historic political moment as Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112th mayor during a private midnight ceremony held at the abandoned Old City Hall subway station. The low-key event, attended only by close family members and advisers, marked the formal beginning of his tenure and symbolised what he has described as a new chapter focused on working New Yorkers.
Mamdani took the oath of office on a Quran, administered by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, becoming the city’s second-youngest mayor. His wife, artist Rama Duwaji, stood by his side during the ceremony held beneath City Hall Park. A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later in the day outside City Hall, where Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont will formally administer the oath.
Explaining the choice of venue, Mamdani said the Old City Hall Station, which opened in 1904 as one of New York’s original subway stops, represents a time when the city dared to combine ambition with beauty to improve the lives of ordinary people. He said that same spirit would guide his administration, extending beyond symbolism to governance from City Hall above.
The Quran used during the ceremony was provided by the New York Public Library from the collections of the Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture. Library President and CEO Anthony W. Marx described the moment as deeply significant, saying the selection reflected the city’s ideals of inclusion, representation and civic responsibility. The library noted that the Quran, believed to have been produced in 19th-century Ottoman Syria, was designed for everyday use, underscoring its connection to ordinary readers rather than ceremonial display.
Of Indian descent, Mamdani is the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. Born in Kampala, Uganda, he moved to New York City at the age of seven and became a naturalised US citizen in 2018.
Mamdani secured a decisive victory in the November mayoral election, defeating Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who contested as an independent with the backing of US President Donald Trump announced shortly before polling day. His win was widely seen as a political upset and a rejection of entrenched power structures.
In his victory speech, Mamdani took aim at Trump’s immigration policies, declared the end of what he termed a political dynasty, and framed his election as a triumph of hope over big money and authoritarianism. Quoting India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he said New York City had stepped “from the old into the new,” signalling a shift toward a more inclusive and people-centric political era.
Mamdani has said his swearing-in represents the start of an administration that places working New Yorkers at the centre of city governance, setting the tone for the priorities of his term.
