Zohran Mamdani was sworn in yesterday as mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim in the office and at 34, the youngest mayor in over 100 years.
In his speech, in front of thousands of New Yorkers including Democratic leaders who supported him, such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, he reiterated his plans for a safer and more affordable city, proposing taxing the wealthy and large corporations to fund social programs such as free buses and childcare.
About three quarters of New York City voters under 30 voted for Mamdani, according to an AP poll.
At the same time, he promised that his term would focus on the needs of working-class New Yorkers, clearly stating that he would govern as a democratic socialist, without fear of being labeled “radical.”
Although he received 1.1 million votes, a number that represents the largest electoral support for a mayoral candidate since the 1960s, he acknowledged that many citizens still do not trust him and attempted to strike a unifying tone, emphasizing that he would be mayor for all New Yorkers regardless of political differences.
Mamdani won the November elections securing 50.4% of the vote against 41.6% for independent Andrew Cuomo, at a time when a year earlier he was at about 1% for the Democratic nomination.
Sources: The New York Times, BBC
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