- The New York Attorney General will administer Mamdani’s oath of office.
- Inauguration ceremony Thursday in front of New York City Hall.
- Block party organized to allow New Yorkers to watch the ceremony.
Zohran Mamdani, a young upstart from the American left, was preparing on Wednesday to become mayor of New York for a term which will certainly see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.
After midnight, bringing 2026, Mamdani will take the oath of office in an abandoned subway station, taking over the leadership of the largest city in the United States. He will be the first Muslim mayor of New York.
His office says the low-key location of the swearing-in reflects his commitment to workers, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on a promise to tackle the soaring cost of living.
But it remains to be seen whether Mamdani – virtually unknown a year ago – will be able to implement his ambitious agenda, which includes rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.
Once the election is over, “the symbolism has its limits with voters. The results start to matter a lot more,” said John Kane, a professor at New York University.
What Trump does could be a deciding factor.
The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the two men had surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.
Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting “could not have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective.”
But he warned their relationship could quickly deteriorate.
One flashpoint could be immigration raids as Trump leads a growing crackdown on migrants across the United States.
Mamdani is committed to protecting immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, the president also threatened to cut federal funding to New York state if he chose Mamdani, whom he called a “crazy communist.”
The mayor-elect said he thought Trump was a fascist.
Neighborhood party
Mamdani’s private midnight swearing-in to begin his four-year term will be delivered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.
A larger inauguration ceremony is planned for Thursday with speeches from left-wing ally Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
About 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event in front of City Hall.
Mamdani’s team has also planned a block party that she says will allow tens of thousands of New Yorkers to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.
This new job comes with a change of address for Mamdani, who trades his rent-controlled apartment in the Queens district for the luxurious residence of the mayor of Manhattan.
Some wondered if he would move into the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he did it mainly for security reasons.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian descent, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and enjoyed an elite education with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor.
To compensate for his inexperience, he surrounds himself with experienced assistants recruited from former mayors and the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
Mamdani also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a mass exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate executives have refuted the claims.
As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership.
Recently, one of his recruits resigned after it was revealed that she had posted anti-Semitic tweets years ago.
