New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Senator Bernie Sanders — NBC News
Mamdani Vows to Enact Democratic Socialist Agenda
Democrat Zohran Mamdani became New York City’s mayor on Thursday, vowing during a public swearing-in ceremony on the steps of City Hall to enact an aggressive agenda aimed at making the nation’s largest city more affordable for working people.
Mamdani, a member of his party’s left-wing democratic socialist faction, was elected last November in a prominent victory that could influence this year’s midterm elections that will determine control of the US Congress. Some Democrats have embraced his style while Republicans portray him as a foil on the national political stage.
In a speech following his public swearing-in, Mamdani promoted core campaign promises of universal childcare, affordable rents and free bus service.
“We will answer to all New Yorkers, not to any billionaire or oligarch who thinks they can buy our democracy,” he said. “I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist.”
‘Tax the rich’
The program for Mamdani’s inauguration included remarks by US Senator Bernie Sanders and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, fellow democratic socialists at the vanguard of the Democratic Party’s liberal wing.
Sanders, whom Mamdani calls his inspiration, defended Mamdani’s agenda.
“Making sure that people can live in affordable housing is not radical,” Sanders said. “It is the right and decent thing to do.”
The crowd of several thousand cheered loudly when Sanders called on America’s millionaires and billionaires to pay more in taxes, breaking into a chant of “tax the rich”.
Even with temperatures well below freezing, the city set up a viewing area along Broadway to allow thousands more to watch a livestream of the ceremony, which included musical performances.
Mae Hardman-Hill, 27, volunteered for Mamdani’s campaign and said it felt like his political momentum was growing.
“I’m a native New Yorker. I’ve watched the city like you just become less and less affordable, less and less livable,” Hardman-Hill said. “I’m really excited for … regular people to get some power back again.”
Prior to the public ceremony, Mamdani was privately sworn in as New York City’s mayor in the first minutes of the New Year on Thursday at the historic City Hall subway station, which was decommissioned decades ago and is accessible only a few times a year through guided tours.
Reflecting his Muslim faith, he used the Holy Qur’an for his swearing-in, a first for a New York City mayor.
Republicans blast Mamdani
Hours after Mamdani took office, the lead group tasked with electing Republicans to the US House of Representatives sought to portray him as a “radical socialist”.
“Every time Mamdani opens his mouth or swipes his pen, he tattoos the Democratic Party’s failures onto every House Democrat facing voters in 2026,” spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement that signaled the sizable role Mamdani is likely to play on the national campaign stage…
Bankers and others in New York, the nation’s financial capital, had expressed concern about Mamdani, but since his election many have explored how to work with him. - Reuters
