Zohran Mamdani Sworn In as New York City’s Mayor in Historic Midnight Ceremony

New York, Jan 2026 : Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City in a historic midnight ceremony held at a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan, becoming the first Muslim to lead America’s largest city and one of the youngest mayors in its modern history.

Mamdani took the oath of office with his hand placed on a Quran, marking the first time Islam’s holy book has been used in a New York City mayoral swearing-in. Moments after the ceremony, the 34-year-old Democrat described the occasion as “the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” reflecting on the significance of the moment both personally and politically.

The ceremony was conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a close political ally of the mayor, at the former City Hall subway station—one of the original stops on the city’s earliest underground transit line. Closed since 1945, the ornate station, known for its vaulted ceilings and historic design, provided a symbolic setting for the midnight oath. Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, stood beside him and held the Quran during the ceremony, underscoring the personal and cultural importance of the occasion.

Continuing a long-standing New York tradition, Mamdani is scheduled to take the oath of office again later in the day during a larger public ceremony on the steps of City Hall at 1 p.m. local time. That event will be administered by US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of Mamdani’s key political inspirations, and is expected to draw supporters from across the city. A public block party organised by the incoming administration will follow along Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes,” a stretch historically associated with civic celebrations and ticker-tape parades.

Following the ceremonies, Mamdani and his wife will move from their one-bedroom, rent-stabilised apartment in an outer borough to Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence in Manhattan. He now begins what is widely regarded as one of the most challenging jobs in American politics, taking charge of a city grappling with affordability pressures, public safety concerns, and infrastructure demands.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991, Mamdani is the son of internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair and noted scholar and activist Mahmood Mamdani. His life story reflects the convergence of multiple global identities. In addition to being New York City’s first Muslim mayor, he is also the first mayor of South Asian origin, the first to be born in Africa, and the youngest person to assume the office in generations.

Mamdani moved to New York City with his family at the age of seven and grew up in the years following the September 11 attacks—a period marked by heightened scrutiny and alienation for many Muslim communities. He became a US citizen in 2018 and went on to work on several Democratic political campaigns across the city. In 2020, he was elected to the New York State Assembly from a Queens district.

Running on a democratic socialist platform, Mamdani centred his mayoral campaign on affordability, pledging sweeping reforms aimed at easing the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)