Ugandan-born Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City

Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City just after midnight on New Year’s Day, taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.

Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of the United States' biggest city. He placed his hand on a Quran held by his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, as he took his oath.

“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.

The private 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.

In Mamdani's first remarks as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city.”

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 1 p.m. by US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what his office is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.

At 34 years old, Zohran Mamdani becomes New York City's first mayor of South Asian descent. He is also the first to be born in Africa, moving from Uganda to the United States at 7 years old.

Mamdani now begins his tenure as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.

In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist 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.