Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City on Thursday, becoming the first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest mayor in generations to lead the nation’s largest city.

Mamdani, 34, took his oath at the historic decommissioned City Hall subway station, placing his hand on a Quran in a ceremony conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James. He called the moment “truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime.”

A second, public swearing-in will follow at City Hall at 1pm, officiated by US Senator Bernie Sanders, followed by a public block party on Broadway’s famous “Canyon of Heroes.”

Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven. He became an American citizen in 2018 and grew up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims often faced discrimination.

During his campaign, Mamdani emphasized affordability, pledging to introduce transformative policies including free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for nearly one million households, and city-run grocery stores.

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While ambitious plans headline his administration, Mamdani will also face the practical challenges of managing one of the world’s largest cities — from trash, snow, and subway delays to potholes and rats.

As a democratic socialist, he enters office amid high expectations, promising to tackle the city’s cost-of-living crisis while navigating the everyday realities of running New York.