New York (USA), January 1, 2025l6: New York City marked the start of the New Year with a moment of political significance as Mamdani was sworn in as the city’s 112th mayor during a private midnight ceremony at the abandoned Old City Hall subway station. The understated event, attended only by close family members and advisers, formally ushered in his tenure and set the tone for an administration he says will prioritise 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 beside him during the ceremony held beneath City Hall Park. A public ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later in the day outside City Hall, where Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders will formally administer the oath.
Speaking about the choice of venue, Mamdani said the Old City Hall Station, which opened in 1904 as one of New York’s first subway stops, symbolises a period when the city combined ambition with public purpose to transform the lives of ordinary people. He said that same spirit would guide his administration, not just in symbolism but through policy and governance from City Hall above.
The Quran used for the swearing-in was provided by the New York Public Library from the Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture. Library President and CEO Anthony W. Marx said the selection reflected the city’s commitment to inclusion, representation and civic values. According to the library, the Quran is believed to date back to 19th-century Ottoman Syria and was intended for everyday use, highlighting its connection to common readers rather than ceremonial grandeur.
Of Indian descent, Mamdani is the son of renowned 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 nominee Curtis Sliwa and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who contested as an independent and received US President Donald Trump’s endorsement shortly before polling day. The result was widely viewed as a political upset and a rejection of entrenched power structures.
In his victory address, Mamdani criticised Trump’s immigration stance, spoke of dismantling what he described as a political dynasty, and framed his win as a victory of hope over big money and authoritarian politics. Quoting India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he said the city had stepped “from the old into the new,” signalling a shift toward a more inclusive political era.
Mamdani has said his swearing-in marks the beginning of an administration focused on placing working New Yorkers at the centre of city governance, setting the direction for his term ahead.
