Zohran Mamdani begins tenure as mayor

Mamdani revoking many of Adams' executive orders

In one of his first acts as mayor, Zohran Mamdani is revoking all executive orders issued by his predecessor Eric Adams in the time since Adams’ indictment on federal bribery and campaign finance charges on Sept. 26, 2024.

The case against Adams was dropped by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.

Mamdani issued other executive orders on Thursday. One establishes an organizational structure for his deputy mayors; another aims to “revitalize” the Office to Protect Tenants; and two establish housing task forces.

He discussed the orders in a Brooklyn building owned by a real estate company that’s currently in bankruptcy and responsible for thousands of housing violations and complaints, according to Mamdani’s administration.

Celebrity sightings: Richard Kind, Marisa Tomei, Cynthia Nixon

The comedian Richard Kind was seated among the backers of Zohran Mamdani attending his inauguration at City Hall.

A reporter asked whether Kind thought Mamdani would be a better mayor than Eric Adams.

“Anybody would be,” Kind deadpanned.

Other noteworthy show business personalities at the inauguration included Marisa Tomei, Cynthia Nixon, John Turturro, Susan Sarandon, Kal Penn and performers Mandy Patinkin and singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus.

Video: Crowds cheer as Mamdani sworn in

State comptroller on Mamdani tax pitch: We'll see

The state comptroller, Long Island’s Thomas DiNapoli, said after the inauguration that Long Island and the city are inextricably linked.

“You can't really separate Long Island's economy from the city economy, you know, so there's a lot that we're really intertwined about,” he told Newsday.

What does DiNapoli think about Mamdani’s proposal to raise taxes on the rich and big corporations?

“It’s what he ran on," DiNapoli said. "Obviously that is not within one person's purview or power. So we'll see how that process plays out."

Mamdani signs executive orders, is off to Brooklyn

The new mayor is signing executive orders, his spokeswoman Dora Pekec said after the inaugural ceremonies had concluded, and then he's on his way to Brooklyn for an event.

The details of those executive orders will be announced at the Brooklyn event later in the afternoon, Pekec said.

Mamdani's pledge: To govern 'audaciously'

Mamdani, in his inaugural address, pledged to “govern expansively and audaciously."

"We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try," he said. "To those who insist the era of big government is over, hear me say this: ‘No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.’”

The new mayor said working New Yorkers have dealt with crowded classrooms, roads riddled with potholes, and public housing developments where the elevators sit out of order.

But he said the city will now be measured by its agenda and how it solves the problems of working-class New Yorkers.

“City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance, where government looks and lives like the people that it represents, never flinches against corporate greed and refuses to cower before the challenges that other have deemed too complicated,” he said. “And in doing so, we will provide an answer to that age-old question. Who does New York City belong to?... Together we will tell a new story.”

After his address, Mamdani embraced his wife, Rama Duwaji, as confetti shot into the air.

The couple then greeted Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane.

Mamdani's address: Today 'begins a new era'

In his inaugural address, Mamdani said that today “begins a new era” for New York City.

He name-dropped a host of working-class communities and residents, from those driving taxi cabs to serving food out of halal carts.

“I know there are some who view this administration with distrust and disdain,” he said. “Or who see politics as permanently broken, and while only action can change minds, I promise you this: If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you. Celebrate with you, mourn alongside you and never, not for a second, hide from you.”

Zohran Mamdani takes oath after Sanders fires up crowd

Zohran Mamdani was sworn in at about 2:40 p.m. by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. "Today begins a new era," Mamdani said.

Just before the swearing-in, Sanders thanked the people of New York City.

“At a time when we are seeing too much hatred, too much divisiveness, and too much injustice, thank you for electing Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York. Thank you for inspiring the nation," Sanders said.

Sanders said Mamdani defeated the Democrat and Republican establishments, along with President Donald Trump and “enormously wealthy oligarchs. And you defeated them in the biggest political upset in modern American history.”

Sanders noted that governing a city of 8 million will be a challenge. But he said that the city has the resolve to fix its housing crisis, along with providing free bus transportation and child care.

“And lastly, and maybe most importantly, demanding that the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes is not radical,” Sanders said as the crowd chanted, "Tax the rich" to loud applause. “It’s exactly the right thing to do.”

'We need to be able to pass the mantle'

Berta Silva, 68, from Manhattan, volunteered to help get Mamdani elected and is inspired by today’s big turnout.

“I think it's exciting, and I believe it's also sending a strong message and is symbolic of his campaign to be inclusive," Silva said.

She said she is seeing more young people joining the democratic socialist movement. "We need to be able to pass the mantle. The youth are the future."

"My hope is that he will be able to carry out some of the major pillars of his platform, which is to have a rent freeze, universal child care, and, of course, fast and free buses. I think public transportation is extremely important for our city, and it is also a priority for him."

Poet who taught at Stony Brook: 'Another kind of new beginning'

Cornelius Eady, who has taught graduate poetry at Stony Brook University, read an original poem at the inauguration that he dedicated to trans, queer and foreign students of color at the University of Knoxville in Tennessee.

New Yorkers, he said, likely joked during the campaign that Mamdani would get elected when “hell freezes over. So here we are,” he told the crowd watching in frigid temperatures, to laughter and applause.

The poet highlighted that New York was the nation’s first capital.

“And it seems to me that this might be another kind of new beginning for a certain kind of energy that might start here and goes across the country to the rest of the nation,” Eady said.

Warming (more than others) to the occasion

All eyes were on Michael Litke, of Hawaii, at Thursday’s inauguration block party — and not just for his support of the new mayor.

Litke, who grew up in Manhattan and is visiting the city for the holidays, was dressed for a day at Waikiki Beach, not New York’s frigid temperatures.

“I am not that uncomfortable,” said Litke, dressed in shorts, flip-flops and a light leather jacket.

“I've been a socialist for a while now. I was very excited by his campaign," Litke said of Mamdani. “I think that he has potential to do a lot of good ... what he represents in terms of political sea change.”

Imam and Mandy Patinkin welcome the new mayor

Imam Khalid Latif issued a passionate address for Mamdani, pushing many of the new mayor’s core messages, including affordable housing, support for new immigrants and programs to assist low-income New Yorkers.

“We gather today with hearts shaped by this city, by its noise and its neighborhood, by its subways and sanctuaries, by the dreams carried in many languages, and the prayers whispered on crowded blocks,” he said.

The imam was followed by Broadway and television star Mandy Patinkin, a prominent Mamdani advocate who was joined by fifth graders from Staten Island’s PS 22 chorus in singing "Somewhere over the Rainbow."

AOC opens ceremony: 'Ascent marks a new era'

Queens Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened the inauguration ceremony just after 1:35 p.m. Crowds cheered as she took the stage. 

Ocasio-Cortez noted that Mamdani's "ascent marks the new era for New York City."

She said New York City residents have "chosen historic, ambitious leadership in response to untenable and unprecedented times."

"New York, we have chosen courage over fear. We have chosen prosperity for the many over the spoils for the few," she said.

The congresswoman added that Mamdani would be the city's first Muslim mayor and the first immigrant mayor in over a century and the youngest mayor in generations.

View from the crowd: 'You get to witness history'

In the days before the Democratic primary in June, Lindita Kulla, of Bushwick, Brooklyn, knocked on doors and campaigned for the new mayor despite broiling heat and suffocating humidity.

On Thursday, she braved freezing cold to see the mayor she helped get elected.

“I am here today because it's not every day that you get to witness history and a new hope for a better tomorrow. Yeah. And I was out till 5 a.m. last night for the new year,” she said.

Kulla said she thinks Mamdani will be a successful mayor because of his intelligence and willingness to talk to people regardless of their politics. That helped him win over voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024. “Middle class individuals need help," she said.

Guests of Mamdani’s — including the co-head of his transition committee, Lina Khan, who was Biden's trustbusting FTC head; and Mahmoud Khalil, whom the Trump administration had arrested and is trying to deport over his anti-Israel activism — were escorted to the front of the long lines before the metal detectors.

Ceremonial swearing-in set to start

The ceremonial swearing-in of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's is about to begin at City Hall Plaza.

Thousands thronged into the plaza ahead of the scheduled 1 p.m. ceremony, with thousands more gathered Broadway's Canyon of Heroes.

Patrick Gaspard, a top aide to former President Barack Obama, who has been advising Mamdani since before he was elected, is among the VIP guests.

Earlier this year, Newsday reported that Gaspard, who was also a veteran of New York City Hall, was among the Democratic honchos counseling the new mayor on how not to repeat the mistakes of past Democratic administrations, including Obama.

The actor, singer and Mamdani supporter Mandy Patinkin is seated in the VIP section. Patinkin made a video last month celebrating Hanukkah with Mamdani.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is slated to administer the oath to Mamdani, who was officially sworn just after midnight.

A slow go for block party entrants as festivities heat up

The crowd waiting to get into the block party in lower Manhattan has grown tremendously in the past hour as festivities ramp up.

Police are allowing people to enter after they have been screened with a metal detector wand, but the process is slow and it's going to take awhile. 

Jose Ortiz, aka Doctor Drum, 67, from the Bronx, is warming up the crowds as he and a couple of friends play pandeiro, or handheld drums, with friends.

"What we're doing here — it may seem like we're entertaining people, but we're not," Ortiz said. "What you're listening to is the soul of the island, Puerto Rico. With our pandeiro, we get to express our voice. We get to talk about our differences. We get to talk about the good and the bad, whatever that is. And today, we're using it to celebrate the inauguration."

Group celebrates in song: 'He's bringing hope'

Elissa Stein, 61, is originally from Massapequa and now lives in the West Village. She was singing on Liberty Street with other members of Sing Out, Louise NYC, all decked out in pink and wearing sashes that read “Vote, resist, sing.”

The group puts a political spin on pop and show tunes.

"We speak out, and we inspire people to be on the streets, to protest, to be activists with joy and with song. There's nothing more joyous than Zohran Mamdani being inaugurated today,” she said. “He's bringing hope. He's bringing inspiration. He's getting young people motivated. We have a lot of fighting still left to do.”

Jay W. Walker 58, of Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, also with the singing group, said the group wrote three new songs for Mamdani.

"We love him, we are pulling for him," he said. "We are standing with him."

Hundreds line up ahead of Mamdani inauguration block party

Several hundred people, many wearing knit caps that say “Zohran,” braved frigid temperatures to line up at the intersection of Broadway and Liberty Street to gain entrance to the inauguration block party. Among those waiting was Jose La Luz, a longtime union organizer who helped found the Democratic Socialists of America in the 1980s. La Luz, of East Harlem, said he came downtown despite the cold because Mamdani shares his values and principles.

“This is just a dream come true for many of us who share these values of justice and equality and working class power,” he said.

La Luz said Mamdani’s election and inauguration represent a beginning. The new mayor’s agenda, he said, will face resistance from the White House, state lawmakers and a host of other adversaries.

“But the good news is that the more than 100,000 volunteers that were mobilized to knock on doors, they have remained engaged. And we continue to remain engaged. The organization has remained intact,” he said.

For Mamdani, new bodyguards and an early morning at City Hall

New Mayor Zohran Mamdani went up the steps of New York City Hall just after midnight, accompanied by a much bigger NYPD bodyguard detail.

Mamdani remained inside City Hall — his office is in the northwest corner of the two-century-old building — well past 1 a.m.

He had some things he wanted to do (pressed, he wouldn’t say what), he said in the same spot where, 10 hours earlier, predecessor Eric Adams said he’d spend his post-mayoralty enjoying “cigar and single-malt scotch.”

At 1:28 a.m., Canadian tourists were at the west gate of City Hall begging one of Mamdani’s bodyguards for a glimpse.

Meanwhile, at the building’s east gate, two women were seeking access to a rave in the building, having been given the wrong address, The City news organization reported.

Mamdani takes the oath of office

Exactly 120 seconds after outgoing Mayor Eric Adams pressed a button in Times Square to lower the crystal ball heralding 2026, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani officially became Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Mamdani took the oath of office after midnight in a semiprivate ceremony in the old subway station beneath City Hall (administered by the state attorney general, Letitia James).

He became the mayor at 12:01 a.m., completing an improbable journey from serving as a little-known state assemblyman to being an underdog candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary and then, finally, reaching the top office in New York City.

He'll take the same oath in a public ceremony at City Hall Plaza at 1 p.m.

What to know about Mamdani's inauguration ceremony

Zohran Mamdani's ceremonial swearing-in will take place before 4,000 ticketed spectators cramming into City Hall Plaza at 1 p.m. on Thursday, with thousands more gathering along Broadway's Canyon of Heroes to watch on Jumbotron TV screens and to take part in a block party. 

The block party begins at 11 a.m.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will administer the oath to Mamdani. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx/Queens) will be among the speakers.

Outgoing Mayor Adams vetoes 19 City Council bills

Eric Adams spent the waning hours of his mayoralty vetoing City Council legislation, convening another charter-revision commission staffed by loyalists (a panel whose work would spill into his successor's tenure), and packing up his office.

Among the 19 bills Adams vetoed include legislation:

• Giving the NYPD Civilian Complaint Review Board direct access to police officers' body cameras.
• Requiring half of affordable housing projects getting public money to be affordable for the poorest households.
• Blocking city property and employees' time from being used for immigration enforcement or by immigration authorities at all.
• Setting timelines for co-ops to approve or deny applications.
• Establishing new conflict-of-interest rules.
• Mandating just-cause termination for gig-economy workers such as Uber drivers.

Most of the bills passed with a veto-proof majority, but by vetoing the legislation on the last day of the year, Adams makes it harder for the council to override his veto.