New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani started the new year with a speech making bold promises for his administration.
At his inauguration on Thursday, Mamdani promised to have the courage and conviction to follow through on his vows to change the culture of City Hall.
Here are four things we learned about Mamdani’s plans for the city from his inaugural address.
Mamdani intends to usher in “a new era” of politics, embracing democratic socialism
Mamdani made it clear that he is ushering in a new era of city politics that will change the culture inside City Hall and the way government is run. His first speech was all about a government that will cater to the working people, not the rich and powerful.
“I cannot blame anyone who has come to question the role of government, whose faith in democracy has been eroded by decades of apathy. We will restore that trust by walking a different path, one where government is no longer solely the final recourse for those struggling, but one where excellence is no longer the exception,” he said.
Before Mamdani got to the mic, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, leaders of the national progressive movement, gave passionate speeches about workers’ rights, affordability and the need to eliminate what they call “the oligarchy.”
“New York, thank you for inspiring our nation … Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes is not radical. It is exactly the right thing to do,” Sanders said to his biggest applause.
“I also ask that we consider today an inauguration for each one of us, too. The nearly 8.5 million New Yorkers who make up the greatest city on Earth,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Because it is the people of New York City who have chosen historic, ambitious leadership in response to untenable and unprecedented times. New York, we have chosen courage over fear.”
Mamdani said clearly that the politics of Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are his, too.
“Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously,” he said. “We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try. To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this. No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”
Mamdani won’t back down on free buses, rent freeze and universal child care
Mamdani’s inauguration was unlike those of the past as it was geared toward the city’s working class and those who find it hard to make ends meet.
He stood before the crowd of 4,000 in City Hall Plaza, and many more who packed the Canyon of Heroes, on a bitterly cold day and reaffirmed his promises for free buses, a rent freeze and universal child care.
“We will transform the culture of City Hall from one of no to one of how,” he said.
Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim mayor and, at 34, its youngest in over 100 years. He said he would be true to the values that got him elected.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” the 112th mayor said.
It’s not going to be easy, however, because Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was in the audience, will be the key to his success.
Hochul faces a tough reelection campaign and her Republican opponent will be looking to criticize her for anything she does to help the mayor succeed.
Mamdani will not ignore those who voted against him
In his speech, Mamdani acknowledged his supporters and those who opposed him in the election. He said he stands with those who voted for him and, “I stand just as resolutely alongside those who did not.”
“I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken,” Mamdani said. “And while only action can change minds, I promise you this: If you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor.”
Mamdani has been under fire from many Jewish New Yorkers for refusing to say that Israel should be a Jewish state. But he appeared to offer an olive branch during his speech, or at least attempt to say he comes from the same place they do.
“Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox every Sunday?” Mamdani said.
He also offered praise for his predecessor, Eric Adams, who he clashed with repeatedly.
“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 on an elevator with,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani will use his fame to push his agenda
Many in the crowd were volunteers during Mamdani’s march to victory, wearing blue and yellow hats with “Zohran” emblazoned on the front.
A come-from-behind victory in the primary helped Mamdani become an international sensation. As mayor, he made it clear that he intends to use his fame to get his agenda accomplished.
“What we achieve together will reach across the five boroughs and it will resonate far beyond,” he said. “There are many who will be watching. They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again. So standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: We will set an example for the world.”
He added, “If what Sinatra said is true, let us prove that anyone can make it in New York, and anywhere else, too.”
“Let us prove that when a city belongs to the people, there is no need too small to be met, no person too sick to be made healthy, no one too alone to feel like New York is their home,” he said. “The world continues, the work endures, the work, my friends, has only just begun.”