Zahran Mamdani becomes New York City’s next mayor with midnight underground oath

Zahran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City with time running through 2026, but celebrations are scheduled to continue until New Year’s Day.

The Democratic team is planning two separate swearing-in ceremonies on Thursday — a small, private ceremony with his family in an old subway station around midnight, followed by a large event in the afternoon that will include a public party outside City Hall.

With the new mayor’s term beginning immediately with the new year, it has been customary for new city leaders to hold two events. Departing Mayor Eric Adams was sworn in for the first time in Times Square shortly after the famous ball drop, while Adams’ predecessor Bill de Blasio was sworn in for the first time at his home in Brooklyn.

For his part, Mamdani will be sworn in at the former City Hall subway station in Manhattan, one of the city’s original stops on the underground transit system, known for its tiled arches and vaulted ceilings.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally and prominent foe of President Donald Trump, will be sworn in.

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The old City Hall station was designed as the main stop for the city’s first subway line but was decommissioned in 1945. These days, except on guided historical tours, locals can usually catch a glimpse of it only by staying on the No. 6 train after its final stop downtown when it turns to head north.

His office said the decision to take the oath of office at the former City Hall subway station reflects his “commitment to the workers who keep our city running every day.”

Mamdani said the station represents an era in which New York invested in infrastructure aimed at improving people’s lives, an ambition he said his administration aims to advance.

On Thursday afternoon, Mamdani will be sworn in again, this time by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of his political heroes, on the steps of City Hall in a ceremony. It is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with opening remarks from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another political ally and fellow New Yorker.

In both ceremonies, Mamdani, who will be the city’s first Muslim mayor, will place his hand on the Holy Quran as he takes the oath of office, marking the first time a New York mayor has used the holy Islamic text to take the oath.

Mamdani’s transition formed an inaugural committee that included actor John Turturro, playwright Cole Escola and writer Colson Whitehead, as well as advocates, small business owners and campaign workers who the new mayor’s office says “brought perspective, direction and cultural sensitivity” to the party.

The public swearing-in will be accompanied by a public ceremony along Broadway leading to City Hall. Mamdani’s office expects thousands of people to attend, and says there will be performances, music and multi-faith elements.

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By drawing attention to the mayor’s history, Mamdani’s election also ended up highlighting a flaw in record keeping. A city archivist concluded that Mamdani appears to be the 112th mayor, not the 111th mayor, as was thought before historians pointed out an error involving a 17th-century mayor who served twice.

Mamdani has spent the past weeks forming his next government and making a series of key appointments until Wednesday, hours before he was sworn in.

Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed.