In the early hours of Thursday, Zohran Mamdani officially assumed the role of Mayor of New York City. The swearing-in ceremony took place in a historic and unused subway station in Manhattan, marking a unique beginning to his tenure.

Breaking new ground, Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Party, became the first Muslim to lead the largest city in the United States. He took his oath with his hand resting on a Quran, symbolizing a significant moment in the city’s history.

“This is truly the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani expressed in a concise but heartfelt address following his oath.

The oath was administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, in the old City Hall station. This location, celebrated for its beautiful arched ceilings, was one of the original stops in the city’s subway network.

In his inaugural speech, Mamdani emphasized the crucial role of public transportation in the city’s life and future. He described the historic subway station as a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health, and the legacy of our city,” as he introduced Mike Flynn as his new commissioner for the Department of Transportation.

The new mayor then closed: ‘Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,’ he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.

Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1pm by US Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor´s political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the ‘Canyon of Heroes,’ famous for its ticker-tape parades.

But the Democratic socialist has released a lengthy list of items barred from the event, some expected, others raising eyebrows.

Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office to become New York City’s new mayor just after midnight on January 1

The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city´s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings

While weapons, explosives, and illegal substances are banned, the list also prohibits strollers, Flipper Zero devices and Raspberry Pis, two pieces of consumer technology that are legal and widely used.

The former is a small handheld gadget that can interact with wireless signals such as key fobs, RFID cards and Bluetooth devices, often described as a Swiss Army knife for hacking. 

A Raspberry Pi, meanwhile, is a tiny, low-cost computer commonly used for coding, electronics projects and basic software.

Both devices feature programmable input-output pins that could, in theory, be connected to external components and misused to interfere with equipment or cause harm. 

However, tech experts noted that explicitly banning these niche devices is unusual, especially given that laptops, which are far more powerful and versatile, are not restricted. 

The Democratic Socialist is now one of the country’s most-watched politicians, after winning the election with 50.78 percent of the vote, a margin of over 9.4 percentage points over his closest opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

The city Board of Elections reported that 735,317 ballots were cast during early voting, more than five times the turnout seen in 2021, with voters aged 55 and younger accounting for 56 percent of early ballots.

That was a notable shift from the opening days of early voting, which had been dominated by Gen X and Baby Boomer voters.

As New York City’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani placed his hand on a Quran (pictured) as he took his oath

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, right, hands nine dollars to city clerk Michael McSweeney before signing a registry after being sworn in as mayor

The Democratic Socialist is now one of the country’s most-watched politicians, after winning the election with 50.78 percent of the vote, a margin of over 9.4 percentage points over his closest opponent, Andrew Cuomo

In a campaign that helped make ‘affordability’ a buzzword across the political spectrum, Mamdani promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world´s most expensive cities. 

His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores. 

But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes. 

And in addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations. 

He was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn´t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.

He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will now depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan. 

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji (pictured together following his victory) will now depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in Queens to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan

He inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.

Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.

He will also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.

During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.

But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.

‘I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,’ Trump said.

Mamdani held a cordial meeting with President Donald Trump in November

Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.

Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city´s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel´s government.

The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.

That included persuading the city´s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position – a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.