A yr in the past, Zohran Mamdani was a backbench state assemblyman who had simply launched a bid for New York Metropolis mayor that many noticed as a protracted shot due to his unabashed left-wing politics.
On Thursday afternoon, Mamdani was inaugurated as the town’s 112th mayor with a vow to “govern as a democratic socialist,” an indication that he sees his upset election victory as a mandate for his leftist affordability agenda, which has resonated with many New Yorkers reeling from skyrocketing prices of residing. Critics have voiced concern about potential damaging fallout from increased taxes and a progressive financial agenda.
“We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe. I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani, who at 34 is the town’s youngest mayor in additional than a century, stated in an inaugural handle on the steps of Metropolis Corridor to thunderous applause from 1000’s of supporters.
“I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
Mamdani, who’s additionally the town’s first Muslim mayor, delivered his speech after taking the oath workplace on a Koran held by his spouse, graphic artist Rama Duwaji. The oath was administered by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who, like Mamdani, is a democratic socialist and is seen as a grandfather for the trendy American left.
“All of us have heard that Zohran’s opponents have called the agenda that he campaigned on ‘radical, communistic,’ oh, and ‘absolutely unachievable’ — really?” Sanders stated earlier than administering the oath. “That’s not what we believe.”
Thursday’s public ceremony got here after Mamdani formally was sworn in as mayor at midnight Wednesday throughout a non-public ceremony together with his household.
Evan Simko-Bednarski / New York Each day Information
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is sworn in by New York Lawyer Common Letitia James shortly after midnight Thursday morning at a ceremony within the deserted authentic Metropolis Corridor subway station. (Evan Simko-Bednarski / New York Each day Information)
Having promised to make the town extra reasonably priced for working-class communities, Mamdani is getting into workplace with excessive expectations on his shoulders.
His mayoral marketing campaign centered on three key guarantees: freeze rents for the town’s 2 million rent-stabilized tenants, make public buses free, and drastically broaden totally sponsored youngster care so it covers each youngster within the metropolis between 6 weeks and 5 years outdated.
Every of these pledges comes with its personal set of significant challenges.
The bus and youngster care proposals are contingent on billions of {dollars} in new funding Mamdani needs to allocate from tax will increase — which might must be enacted by the state — on millionaires and firms. Gov. Hochul, a extra reasonable Democrat, who was seated on the dais behind Mamdani as he delivered his speech, has brazenly voiced skepticism about elevating taxes this yr, throwing a possible wrench into Mamdani’s core agenda.
Mamdani additionally faces myriad different challenges, together with overseeing the NYPD after spending a big chunk of his political profession being a outstanding critic of the division.
However in his inaugural speech, Mamdani reaffirmed he stays dedicated to all of his agenda gadgets, together with taxing millionaires at a better fee, and vowed to not water down his messaging or guarantees.
“I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less. I will do no such thing,” he stated. “The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations.”
Barry Williams/ New York Each day Information
Zohran Mamdani is sworn in by Senator Bernie Sanders at his ceremonial inauguration at Metropolis Corridor on Thursday. (Barry Williams/ New York Each day Information)
Throughout Sanders’ speech, the inaugural ceremony crowd, which featured dozens of Mamdani supporters donning pink Democratic Socialists of America beanies, erupted in a “Tax the rich!” chant.
1000’s extra Mamdani supporters who crammed the streets round Metropolis Corridor for an occasion his crew billed a “block party” joined in on the identical chant.
“We’ve got your back, we’ll move those establishment politicians, we’ll tax the corporations, we’ll get it done,” stated Paul Nagle, a 67-year-old Chelsea resident.
Hochul declined to take questions after the occasion.
Apart from Hochul, Mamdani’s inaugural ceremony dais was a veritable who’s who of New York politics, that includes U.S. Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, ex-Mayor Invoice de Blasio and a number of other members of Congress, in addition to key advisers to Mamdani, together with his chief of workers Elle Bisgaard Church and First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose upset 2018 election to Congress was a harbinger of types for Mamdani’s defeat of ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June’s Democratic mayoral major, delivered the introductory speech on the inauguration. She instructed Mamdani’s election ought to function an inspiration for extra left-wing electoral campaigns throughout the nation.
“If we can make it here, we can make it anywhere,” she stated.
Barry Williams/ New York Each day Information
Zohran Mamdani and his spouse, Rama Duwaji, attend his ceremonial inauguration at Metropolis Corridor on Thursday. (Barry Williams/ New York Each day Information)
Eric Adams, whose first and solely mayoral time period got here to a detailed at midnight Wednesday, was additionally on the dais.
Having dumped his bid for reelection this fall beneath a cloud of controversy associated to his federal corruption indictment, Adams was a thorn in Mamdani’s facet on his approach out of public service, taking various actions prior to now few weeks immediately aimed toward stymieing the brand new mayor’s agenda.
Amongst different actions, Adams made last-minute appointments to the Hire Tips Board in an effort to at the very least briefly block Mamdani’s promised lease freeze for stabilized tenants.
Regardless of the tensions, Mamdani provided Adams thanks throughout his inaugural speech, drawing boos from the group.
“He and I have had our share of disagreements, but I will always be touched that he chose me as the mayoral candidate that he would most want to be trapped with on an elevator,” Mamdani stated, prompting Adams to chuckle.
Actor and comic Richard Type was among the many revelers who attended Mamdani’s inauguration. He stated he was excited for Mamdani to take over from Adams, when requested if he thought the brand new mayor can be higher than Adams.
“Anybody would be,” he stated, “but especially Mamdani.”
