With his hand placed on a Quran, Zohran Mamdani, who began his campaign as a long-shot candidate, made history at the stroke of midnight when he was sworn in as New York City’s Mayor.
He is the first Muslim to serve as mayor of New York, the most populous city in the US. Before his election victory he served as a New York State assembly member.
Mr Mamdani, a democratic socialist who methodically gained recognition throughout his lengthy mayoral campaign by pledging to make New York City more affordable while offering services such as free buses and universal childcare to residents, took the oath of office at a decommissioned subway station.
It was a not-so-subtle nod to his campaign promise to improve services throughout the city and stand up for blue-collar workers. Mr Mamdani, 34, was accompanied by his wife, the Syrian-American illustrator and designer Rama Duwaji.
It was the first of two swearing-in ceremonies for Mr Mamdani. In New York City, the newly elected mayor is usually sworn in at the stroke of midnight on January 1 for legal purposes, and then takes the oath of office again on New Year's Day when more people are awake.
“This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” he said, moments after being sworn in.
According to media reports, Mr Mamdani will be sworn in using several Qurans during his various ceremonies, one of which belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a prominent Puerto Rico-born black scholar and historian.
It was lent to Mr Mamdani by the New York Public Library. “This specific Quran, which Arturo Schomburg preserved for the knowledge and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, symbolises a greater story of inclusion, representation and civic-mindedness,” said the library president and chief executive Anthony W Marx.
During his New Year's Day swearing-in ceremony, Mr Mamdani will be joined by two liberal firebrands, the New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
First elected to the state assembly in 2020, Mr Mamdani was born in Uganda but moved to New York with his parents at the age of seven. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a prominent academic, and his mother, Mira Nair, is an Indian-American filmmaker and producer.
According to his New York Assembly biography, while attending Bowdoin College he helped to form the school's first Justice for Palestine chapter. “In high school, Zohran co-founded his school’s first-ever cricket team,” his bio also says. “Though not ostensibly a political one, this taught him how coming together with a few like-minded individuals can transform rhetoric into reality.”
Using an aggressive and occasionally quirky social media campaign, Mr Mamdani gained a loyal following on the mayoral campaign trail. In addition to showcasing his Muslim faith, he also campaigned in various languages, including Hindi, Urdu and Spanish.
His rapid ascent and background did, however, lead to xenophobia and unfounded rumours about his past. Regardless, Mr Mamdani still defeated the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who at one point was the heavy favourite to become mayor.
In November, Mr Mamdani met US President Donald Trump, who had previously bashed his political views but changed his tune during a surprisingly cordial meeting at the White House. “We have a lot more in common than I would have thought,” the US President said. “I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job.”
