WEBULL

Zohran Mamdani Sworn In As New York City's Youngest Mayor In A Century, Touts 'New Era' For Big Apple

Benzinga · 01/01 07:53

Democrat Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th Mayor of New York City in a private ceremony at the old City Hall subway station in the city, following a three-horse race with Republican activist Curtis Sliwa and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Zohran Mamdani Touts New Era

Mamdani, 34, was sworn in as the Mayor at midnight, January 1st, 2026, calling the opportunity an "honor and the privilege of a lifetime." Mamdani was sworn in by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

He was joined by his wife, Rama Duwaji, as well as his parents, filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a professor of African studies at Columbia University.

In a post on the social media platform X on Thursday, Mamdani touted a shift for New York City. "Welcome to a new era for NYC," Mamdani's official mayoral handle wrote in the post. The 34-year-old is also the first Muslim mayor in New York City's history, as well as the youngest in over a century.

The swearing-in preluded the official ceremony scheduled to take place at New York City Hall on Friday. Former Mayor Eric Adams also attended the swearing-in ceremony. Mamdani, owing to his Muslim faith, was sworn in with his hand on a copy of the Qur'an, Islam's holiest book.

Bernie Sanders Hails Mamdani

Taking to the social media platform X on Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) shared that he was "proud" to be swearing in Mamdani as the Mayor. He also said that the incumbent's victory was proof that "we can defeat the Democratic and Republican establishments, Trump and the Oligarchs," Sanders said. He then wished Mamdani "best of luck."

Mamdani's Productive Meeting With Trump, Elon Musk's Doubts

In November, Mamdani met with President Donald Trump at the White House, which the latter hailed as a "very productive" meeting. "He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people," Trump said. Mamdani requested the meeting amid a crisis of affordability in New York City.

Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk shared that he was unsure of Mamdani's plans after the Mayor announced Lillian Bonsignore as the FDNY commissioner, citing Bonsignore's lack of experience. Mamdani defended his decision, sharing that the commissioner held over 30 years of EMS experience.

He had also earlier locked horns with Musk after the billionaire endorsed Cuomo as his candidate for Mayor. "Another big endorsement for @andrewcuomo. And it only cost $959 million in tax breaks," Mamdani had said then.

Read Next:

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock