Mamdani was sworn in alongside his wife, Rama Duwaji, in a small ceremony in a historic subway station under City Hall. The oath of office was administered by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
A larger, public ceremony was held later on New Year’s Day on the steps of New York City Hall, during which one of Mamdani’s mentors, US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), administered the ceremonial oath.
“Last week's inauguration was a historic moment for New York City and the culmination of an impressive achievement by our graduate Zohran Mamdani," said Bowdoin president Safa Zaki. "Congratulations and best wishes to the mayor as he takes on his new duties."
Mamdani joins a list of notable alumni to serve in federal, state, and local leadership positions. In addition to counting among its alumni the fourteenth president of the United States, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, and several cabinet secretaries and members of Congress, Bowdoin is proud that Mayor Mamdani joins Harold Hitz Burton, Class of 1909 (mayor of Cleveland, 1936–1940), and Ed Lee, Class of 1974 (mayor of San Francisco, 2011–2017), as the third alumnus to be sworn in as the elected leader of a major American city.
Mamdani, who campaigned on promises around affordability in one of America’s most expensive cities, vowed as he took office to govern “expansively and audaciously.”
