Mamdani Takes Charge: NYC’s New Socialist Mayor Sworn In
On January 2, 2026, the dominant story surrounding Zohran Mamdani revolves around his first full day as the newly inaugurated mayor of New York City, following his historic swearing-in ceremonies on New Year's Day. Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist and the city's first Muslim, South Asian, and Africa-born mayor, was privately sworn in just after midnight on January 1 at a decommissioned subway station near City Hall, with New York Attorney General Letitia James administering the oath and his wife, Rama Duwaji, holding the Quran. A larger public ceremony later that day on the steps of City Hall drew thousands of supporters despite bitter cold weather, featuring an introduction by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the ceremonial oath administered by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. In his inaugural address, Mamdani pledged to govern "expansively and audaciously," vowing a "new era" focused on affordability, abundance, and working-class New Yorkers, while celebrating the city's diversity through references to its food, culture, and immigrant communities—from halal cart vendors to multi-spice cooks. He emphasized refusing to lower expectations or apologize for progressive priorities, declaring that his administration would represent all New Yorkers without shame or insecurity.
Hours after the ceremonies, Mamdani moved swiftly to act on campaign promises by signing three executive orders centered on the housing crisis. These included reviving the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants to address 311 complaints and hold landlords accountable, announcing a rent freeze for the city's nearly one million rent-stabilized apartments, and intervening in a high-profile Brooklyn rent-stabilized building case where residents faced potential eviction threats amid bankruptcy proceedings. He also reduced the number of deputy mayors to five (fewer than under predecessor Eric Adams) and established a structure aimed at efficiency. In a separate move that drew significant attention, Mamdani issued an executive order revoking all nine executive orders signed by former Mayor Eric Adams after his September 2024 federal corruption indictment (charges later dropped), including some related to support for Israel and the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism—though he preserved the city's Office to Combat Antisemitism. This decision sparked criticism from Adams, some conservative Jewish leaders, and others wary of Mamdani's positions.
