New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, pledged in his inauguration speech on Thursday to “set an example for the world” by proving that “the left can govern.”
The 34-year-old mayor said, “Many people will be watching us. They want to know whether the left can govern… whether it can confront the challenges they face. With unity and determination, we will do what New Yorkers do best: we will set an example for the world.”
Zohran Mamdani Inaugurated as NYC Mayor: A Historic Left-Wing Victory
Speaking before a large crowd gathered in freezing temperatures outside City Hall in Manhattan, the new mayor—who belongs to the small Democratic Socialists of America party—vowed not to retreat from his campaign promises, which focused heavily on fighting the rising cost of living.
“Starting today, we will govern with firmness and boldness,” he said. “We may not always succeed, but we will never be accused of lacking courage or resolve.”
After being sworn in on Wednesday evening before Letitia James, New York State’s Democratic attorney general and a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Mamdani took a second oath on Thursday afternoon before Bernie Sanders, one of the most prominent figures on the American left.
Addressing the crowd, the 84-year-old Vermont senator said, “At a time in our country’s history marked by hatred, division, and injustice, thank you for electing Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City.”